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H  [STORY 


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Bloomington  and  Normal 


IN 


McLEAN  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 


I    DMPILKD      \NI»     A.SEANGED     PROM      I  II  I       I !  r  -  I      A  I    niORITU 


BY    J.   H.   BURNHAM. 


OV     ULiMiMINliTON. 


BLOOM  I NGTON 
J.   II.   BURNHAM,   I'l  I'.l.isil 
L879 


L.L 


PREFACE. 


The  history  of  Bloomington  and  Normal,  herewith  given,  was  written  for  the  History 
of  McLean  county,  Illinois,  published  by  LeBaron  &  Co.,  of  Chicago,  and  appears  in  the 
body  of  that  work.  Owing  to  the  general  design  and  arrangement  of  that  publication,  its 
cost  placed  it  out  of  the  reach  of  many  who  wish  to  obtain  the  history  of  Bloomington  and 
Normal,  and,  at  the  request  of  friends,  I  have  thought  best  to  publish  a  small  edition  which 
can  be  sold  at  a  price  that  will  place  it  in  the  hands  of  all  who  may  desire  a  copy. 

In  this  connection,  1  wish  to  remark  that  the  preparation  of  this  little  work  was,  to  the 
historian,  almost  a  labor  of  love.  As  he  progressed  in  the  work,  his  interest  in  everything 
pertaining  to  the  towns  increased  until  he  could  scarcely  lay  aside  the  pen.  He  was  aware  of 
the  great  responsibility  resting  upon  the  writer  of  the  first  historical  sketch,  but  has 
attempted  conscientiously  and  fairly  to  arrange  and  present  an  impartial,  authentic  account 
of  the  events  of  our  half  century  of  history.  The  imperfections  of  the  present  work  are,  per- 
haps, more  evident  to  its  author  than  they  possibly  can  be  to  the  general  reader,  and  such 
as  exist,  he  hopes  will  be  regarded  with  all  proper  indulgence. 

Great  care  was  taken  in  verifying  all  statements — particularly  those  relating  to  the 
earliest  events.  The  writer  visited  Pekin  and  Vandalia,  and  carefully  examined  all  records, 
being,  perhaps,  the  only  person  who  has  ever  taken  such  pains  to  ascertain  the  facts  of  our 
early  history.  Only  those  who  have  been  actually  engaged  in  an  enterprise  of  this  kind,  can 
properly  estimate  the  difficulties  and  perplexities  that  must  be  encountered,  and  it  is  asking 
too  much  to  expect  the  general  public  will  be  satisfied  with  what  has  been  accomplished. 
Still,  such  as  it  is,  we  hereby  present  the  little  work,  hoping  our  earnest  efforts  will  be 
appreciated,  and  that  our  contribution  to  history  will  prove  acceptable. 

It  is  with  pleasure  I  return  thanks  to  the  many  friends  who  have  assisted  in   the 

preparation  of  these  chapters. 

J.  H.  B. 


i:l<h>\i[.\(,|(  i\ 


The  territorry  now  included  in  the  township  of  Bloomington  Lb  a  part  of  our 
common  oounty,  and  as  such  entitled  to  its  Bhare  in  the  interesl  attaching  to  the 
general  history  of  our  State  and  nation;  bul  when  we  take  it  npon  ourselves  to  learn 
the  history  of  the  sii  miles  square  called  Bloomington,  we  find  it  almost  impossible  to 
divest  general  history  from  the  local  interesl  of  the  tract  of  land  under  consideration 
It  would  be  pleasant  to  go  back  t"  the  time  when  all  the  country,  north  of  the  Ohio, 
wae  a  French  possession ;  to  glanoe  at  it-  first  American  baptism,  in  the  year  177- 
when  Gen.  Clarke  with  his  Virginians  captured  the  whole  region  from  the  British,  who 
had  taken  it  all  from  the  French  in  17»->': ;  to  learn  something  of  it-  early  hi  a 

portion  of  Virginia  after  Qen   Cl.uk.'  returned  from  his  expedition,  at  which  time  the 
whole  hi  i  dependency  of  Virginia,  called    Ulinois  Comity;  to  look  at  tin-  same 

nntry  years  later,  when  it  was  called  the  Northwest  Territory,  anil  to  follow  its 
fortunes  a-  the  Territory  of  Indiana,  then  as  tin'  Territory  of  Illinois  from  1809  down 
to  L818,  when  tin-  State  of  Ulinois  entered  upon  its  independent  career.  In  all  thi 
varying  changes,  the  little  Bpot  of  land  we  are  now  examining  bad  a  territorial  share, 
hut  was  peopled  only  by  wild  anil  Bavage  Indians,  who  may  have  been  intelligent  enough 
to  know  the  French  from  the  English,  but  who  were  not  citizens  of  what,  ver  power  for  the 
tim.'  being  was  in  possession  of  the  land.  It  was  not  till  l-_':i  that  the  territory  dow 
known  a-  McLean  County  possessed  a  single  white  inhabitant;  ami  when,  in  that  year, 
the  families  of  .John  Bendrix  ami  John  W.  Dawson  made  a  selection  of  sites  for 
homes,  they  were  the  first  permanent  settlers  in  the  county,  and  were  also  the  first  in 
Bloomington  Township,  of  which  we  now  propose  to  give  an  historical  Bketch.  We 
have  a  right  to  Buppose  that  long  previous  to  the  date  we  have  mentioned  important 
events  transpired  lure,  in  which  white  people  took  important  pan-.  It  was  herein 
th  region   that   (Jen    Hopkins' army  was  embarrassed  in    1813,  in  his  fruitless 

pedition  from  the  Wabash  toward  the  fort  which  was  then  standing  at  Peoria.  It  is 
probable  that  many  a  party  of  French  and  friendly  Indians  have  camped  in  our  old 
wood-  when  on  their  way  from  Lake  Michigan  to  Cahokia  and  Kaskaskia.  Possibly 
the  early  Indian  traders  and  hunters  may  have  built  trading-stations  and  occupied  them 
for  long  periods,  at  points  wh<  re  our  first  settlers  found  partial  clearings  in  the  original 
t'  rests.  But  perhaps  it  is  cot  best  t < ■  indulge  oursi  lv<  -  in  much  speculation  or  Bupp 
tion  on  these  topics,  as  we  shall  find  our  path  obscure  enough,  following  as  we  go  the 
best  authenticated  records  that  are  now  available. 

BLOOMING    '.r."\  B,  in    B"A1  Kl  i  I.   COl  MTT. 

We  find  that  the  first  white  men  who  mad.-  marks  which  have  in  any  manner 
entered  into  history  were  the  Government  land  surveyors,  who  commenced  the  work  of 
dividing  and  subdividing  the  fertile  acres  of  SfoLean  County  in  the  year  1821.     T 
tiual  survey  was  not  completed  until  October,  1823,  when   Blooming  drove  Township 
was  Burveyed  by  P.  M.  rlamtramaok. 

Our  township  has  been  situated  in  allegiance  to  many  different  counties.     In  1-17, 
Ulinois  being  then  a  Territory,  the  oounty  of  Crawford  was  in  power  here.     In  L819 


a  year  after  the  State  of  Illinois  had  been  admitted  into  the  Union,  Clark  County  had 
jurisdiction,  while,  in  1821,  Fayette  County  was  organized,  extending  northeast  as  far 
as  the  Illinois  River,  and  to  Fayette  our  first  settlers  owed  allegiance.  As  under- 
stood at  the  time,  Fayette  reached  to  the  Wisconsin  line.  This  was  the  meaning  of  the 
act  incorporating  Fayette  County,  but  as,  by  a  previous  law,  Pike  County  included  all 
north  of  the  Illinois  River,  Fayette  County  could  not  enforce  its  claim  to  its  most  north- 
ern territory. 

All  this  region  of  country  now  known  as  McLean  County,  east  of  the  Third  Prin- 
cipal Meridian,  was  situated  in  the  county  of  Fayette,  and  thus  remained  until  the 
development  of  the  country  several  years  later  rendered  it  absolutely  necessary  that  this 
immense  tract  should  be  subdivided  into  several  counties.  We  will  attempt  to  give  the 
names  of  only  a  few  of  the  first  settlers  of  this  township,  mentioning  some  of  the  most 
prominent,  but  may,  through  inadvertence,  omit  others  equally  deserving.  In  1822, 
John  Hendrix  and  John  W.  Dawson,  with  their  families,  settled  in  the  southern  por- 
tion of  Blooming  Grove.  There  was  with  them  in  the  same  year  a  single  man  of  the 
name  of  Segur,  who,  however,  did  not  stay  long  in  the  settlement,  he  having  sold  his 
claim  in  1823  to  Mr.  William  Orendorff.  Mr.  Dawson  remained  four  years,  when  he 
removed  to  near  the  site  of  the  old  Indian  town  in  Old  Town  Timber.  During  these 
four  years,  while  his  family  lived  at  the  Grove,  there  were  no  less  than  fifteen  different 
families  who  made  their  homes  here,  so  that  Blooming  Grove  very  soon  became  a  well- 
settled  community.  Mr.  Hendrix  is  entitled  to  the  honor  of  being  the  first  settler,  as 
Mr.  Dawson's  family  did  not  arrive  till  after  Mr.  H.  had  been  here  some  weeks.  Of 
the  family  of  John  W.  Dawson,  who  came  in  1822,  we  will  here  remark  that  two  are 
now  living  in  the  city  of  Bloomington,  having  moved  from  Old  Town  many  years  ago. 
The  oldest  is  Mrs.  William  Paist,  whose  first  husband  was  Maj.  Owen  Cheney.  She 
was  about  ei°ht  years  old  when  her  father  moved  to  the  Indian  town.  She  was  a  great 
favorite  with  the  Indian  squaws,  who  often  carried  her  to  their  homes,  keeping  her  for 
days  at  a  time,  where  the  little  girl  was  greatly  pleased  and  interested.  Mrs.  P.  does 
not  even  yet  appear  aged — scarcely  elderly.  She  takes  a  great  interest  in  society,  and 
it  seems  hardly  possible  that  this  active  lady  has  seen  the  full  growth  and  development 
of  Blooming  Grove,  of  Bloomington  City  and  of  McLean  County.  Her  brother, 
John  Dawson,  is  the  next  oldest  pioneer  now  living  in  our  city. 

Mr.  John  Hendrix  is  deserving  of  mention,  having  been  a  consistent,  devoted  Chris- 
tian who  planted  early  good  seed  that  has  borne  many  fold.  He  has  been  honored  by 
havin"-  the.  railroad  station  on  the  Central  in  the  Orendorff  neighborhood  named  after 
him,  as  well  as  the  post  office,  and  the  true  spelling  of  the  name  should  be  Hendrix,  it 
being  named  for  this  good  old  pioneer.  The  first  sermon  in  Blooming  Grove  was 
preached  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Hendrix,  by  Rev.  James  String-field,  in  1823.  Mr.  Hen- 
drix labored  in  the  settlement  as  a  true  Christian  should,  and  very  few  who  have  lived 
in  this  county  have  left  such  a  noble  record.  Men  like  Mr.  Hendrix  and  Mr.  Dawson 
should  always  be  held  in  grateful  recollection  by  our  people,  both  of  them  having  been 
men  of  great  worth.  With  their  two  families,  they  accomplished  a  great  deal  of  good 
in  forming  and  molding  the  tone  of  society  during  the  first  two  or  three  years  of  the 
infant  settlement.  They  labored  iu  every  manner  possible  to  induce  the  best  class  of 
emigrants  to  settle  as  neighbors  and  used  all  the  skill  they  possessed  to  persuade  unde- 
sirable persons  to  move  on  or  look  further  for  more  congenial  neighborhoods.     The 


strict,  almosl  Puritanic,  ways  of  the  religious  Mr.  Hendru  naturally  bad  the  effect  of 
impressing  new-comers  who  r  tless  and  irreligious,  with  an  aversion  to  his  socii 

and  would  as  naturally  attract  pious  men,  like  Rev.  K  Rhodes,  who  came  in  L823  <>r 
1  B2  l,  and  the  influence  of  :i!l  these  i  arlj  settlers  was  of  lasting  value. 

The  influence  of  a  E  w  of  the  early  pi sera  in  determining  the  class  of  Bettlers  who 

were  attracted  to  cast  their  lot  in  the  Bame  community,  has  often  been  referred  to,  but 
we  find  thai  in  thi  F  Blooming  Grov<  a  great  deal  was  accomplished  in  this  direc- 

tion, in  tlit-  firsi  two  or  three  years  of  it-  development,  and  in  this  manner  we  account 
for  the  fact  that  at  the  time  of  the  location  here  of  the  county  Beat,  there  was  no  settle- 
ment of  equal  power  and  influence  anywhere  between  Vandalia  and  the  Wisconsin  line. 

In  the  year  ls_':',.  William  Orendorffand  wife  arrived,  with  Mr.  Thomas  Orendorff, 

then  ;i  young  man  of  twenty-three.     In  182  t,  Mr.  G Iheart  and  W.  H.  Hodge  settled  at 

the  Grove,  and  about  the  Bame  time  Mr.  William  Walker  and  family,  and  i  nough  others 
to  bring  the  whole  number  of  families  op  to  about  fifteen  by  the  end  of  die  y<  ar  1  32  t 
There  were  do  exceptions  to  the  general  good  character  attributed  to  all  of  the  first 
families,  thus  giving  illustration  to  the  old  Baying  in  regard  to  "birds  of  a  feather.  ' 

Our  sketch,  imperfect  as  it  is,  must  not  omit  all  mention  of  the  llh< ><1.-.-  family. 
Ebenezer  Rhodes  came  to  the  Grove  in  April,  1824.  He  was  the  tir-r  minister  who 
settled  at  Blooming  Grove,  having  been  ordained  in  the  Separate  Baptists,  befon  com- 
ing t<>  Blooming  Grove.  Mr.  Rhodes  organized  a  Bmall  church  at  his  own  house,  con- 
sisting at  iir.-t  of  eight  persons.  This  church  held  meetings  at  the  house  of  John 
Benson  and  that  of  Josiah  Brown,  at  Dry  Grove.  There  had  been  occasional  preaching 
before  his  arrival,  but  from  this  time  forward  he  kept  up  regular  ministrations.  He 
appear.-  to  have  been  a  natural  missionary,  and  labored  in  all  the  young  settlements  within 
thirty  or  forty  miles.  No  doubt  he  was  induced  to  settle  here  by  the  pn  -  ooe  of  such 
men  as  John  Hendrix,  and  the  prospect  that  Blooming  Grove  would  be  the  first  settle- 
ment able  to  maintain  a  church  and  school;  and  we  thus  see  the  good  effect  of  the  high 
character  of  the  pioneers  of  1 822,  who  attracted  men  like  Mr.  K bodes,  who  in  turn 
1  a  Bimilar  influence  upon  later  arrivals.  In  addition  to  hisservice  as  pastor,  Mr. 
Rhodes  was  a  man  of  mechanical  knowledge — could  make  spinning-wheels,  seats  and  chairs, 
and,  as  early  as  the  first  year  of  his  arrival.  Bet  up  a  hand-mill  for  grinding  corn,  and  in 
the  next  year  built  one  that  was  run  by  horse-power. 

It  would  be  pleasant  to  follow  this  g 1  man  in   his  various  enterprise*,  but  space 

forbi  II"  was  the   father  of  Capt.  John  U.S.  Rhodes  and  Jeremiah  Rhodes,  both 

of  whom  came  here  iii  1824, and  who  were  among  the  besl  of  our  pioneers.     The  latter 

-till  living,  a  hearty  old  gentleman,  a  connecting  link  between  the  past  and  the  pn 
em.  lie  remembers  well  the  condition  of  the  country  in  those  early  days.  When  his 
father  arrived,  the  huckapoo  Indians  were  plentiful  in  this  neighborhood.  Their  chief, 
M  i  Sliee-ni.  ordered  the  Rhodes  family  and  others  to  the  south  Bide  of  the  Sangamon 
River,  declaring  thai  he  had  never  Bigned  the  treaty  which  gave  the  whites  po  session 
of  Blooming  then  called  Keg  Grove.  It  appears  that  the  old  chief  was  nek  at  the 
time  the  treaty  was  signed,  but  had  Bent  his  bod  to  treat  with  the  white-  and  Bign  the 
article-  Ma-Shee-na  threatened  to  bum  the  houses  of  the  families  here,  but  finally 
compromised  !•;.  allowing  them  to  remain  until  fall.     When  one  regards  the  treacherous 

nature  of  the  Indian-,  it  look-  a-  if  the  pioneer-   of    1824   ran  a  great   ri-k  in  ivmainii. 

under  the  circumstances ;  but  the  chief  appear-  to  have  been  a  prettj  g 1  Bort  of  an 


6 

Indian,  worthy  of  the  confidence  reposed  in  him,  and,  in  the  end,  the  settlers  either  com- 
pletely won  his  good-will  or,  as  is  quite  probable,  so  increased  in  numbers  as  to  overawe 
the  whole  tribe.  It  has  been  a  matter  of  some  surprise  to  us  that  the  name  of  this  Indian 
chief,  which  we  spell  as  pronounced,  Ma-Shee-na,  has  not  been  preserved  in  this  settle- 
ment. So  far  as  we  know,  there  is  not  in  this  neighborhood  a  single  Indian  name,  with 
the  exception  of  Kickapoo,  which  is  the  name  of  the  creek  that  flows  through 
Blooming  Grove. 

The  Kickapoos,  a  few  Delawares,  and  some  Pottawatomies  were  very  plenty  from 
1822  to  1829,  and  were  generally  very  kind  and  friendly.  The  settlers  became 
acquainted  with  them,  knew  their  names,  and  in  some  cases  formed  friendships  as  perma- 
nent and  kindly  as  many  existing  between  the  whites  themselves.  When  the  Indians 
left  they  were  missed,  and  their  absence  as  much  regretted  by  some,  as  if  they  had  been 
old  friends.  Most  of  them  left  before  the  end  of  1829,  though  as  late  as  the  summer  of 
1832,  there  were  enough  in  this  region  within  one  hundred  miles  of  the  Grove,  to 
cause  grave  apprehensions,  this  being  the  year  of  the  Black  Hawk  war. 

Very  few  Indian  traditious  have  been  preserved,  owing,  probably,  to  the  fact  that 
the  aborigines  found  by  our  early  settlers  were  of  a  roving  class,  who  came  here  from 
the  eastern  part  of  the  State,  taking  the  places  of  other  Indians  who  had  preceded  them. 
Had  our  pioneers  fallen  in  with  Indians  whose  ancestors  long  resided  here,  we  should 
probably  be  able  to  gather  some  interesting  Indian  legends.  The  Grove  was  known  as 
Keg  Grove  until  1824,  and,  in  fact,  the  old  name  clung  to  it  at  a  much  later  period.  It 
is  said  that  what  are  now  called  Sulphur  Springs — formerly  known  as  Hinshaw's  Springs 
— formed  a  common  camping-place  for  hunters  and  travelers  long  before  the  first  set- 
tlers arrived.  It  was  usual  for  parties  to  travel  from  the  Wabash  River  to  the  fort  at 
what  is  now  Peoria,  or  from  Chicago  to  St.  Louis.  In  either  case,  these  springs  were  a 
convenient  stopping-place. 

Tradition  asserts  that  at  one  time  a  party  of  white  men  hid  a  keg  of  rum  at  this 
point,  probably  intending  to  return  for  it  in  a  short  time.  It  was  found  by  some  Kiek- 
apoo  Indians,  who,  no  doubt,  then  possessed  the  richest  <:  bonanza"  of  their  whole  lives. 
The  remarkable  "  find  "  was  reported  to  the  Indians  all  through  this  region,  who  named 
this  locality  "  Keg  Grove." 

The  "  first  families  "  of  our  ancestors  were  not  of  the  class  who  had  any  fancy  for 
a  name  which  suggested  drunken  Indians,  rum,  whisky  or  anything  of  the  kind,  and 
thev  believed  it  for  the  interest  of  flie  infant  settlement  that  it  should  be  rechristened, 
and  to  Mrs.  William  OrendorfF  is  generally  ascribed  the  credit  of  suggesting  the  name  of 
Blooming  Grove,  which  proved  a  very  suitable  and  acceptable  name.  This  was  about 
the  year  1824. 

The  first  white  female  child  born  in  McLean  County  was  Elizabeth  Ann  Hendrix, 
daughter  of  John  Hendrix,  born  May  3,  1823.  The  first  death  occurred  in  the  family 
of  Thomas  OrendorfF,  it  being  one  of  his  children,  who  died  in  1825.  Mr.  0.  laid  out 
a  family  burying-ground  at  that  time,  which  has  become  an  established  cemetery — the 
oldest  in  the  county.  The  first  white  male  child  born  in  this  county  (now  living)  is 
John  Lewis  OrendorfF,  son  of  Mr.  OrendorfF,  who  was  born  January  30,  1825.  The 
first  school  was  taught  by  Miss  Delila  Mullen,  in  the  house  of  John  W.  Dawson,  in 
1823,  and  it  consisted  at  first  of  only  five  pupils.  About  the  year  1825,  a  log  school- 
house  was  built,  the  firs!;  in  this  county.      The  site  is  on  what  is  now  the  Oliver  Oren- 


InrfT  farm       I  it  1 1 one  of  i  few  years,  there  was  an  ihoolhouse,  on  the 

side  of  the  < Jr. 

In  the  year  L 824, a  class  of  Methodists  was  organized  at  the  house  of  John    Hen 
iliix.  and  it  was  k .  j.t  ap  until  the  year  1838 

I'll ■■  fire!  blacksmith  :it  the  Grove  was  the   !!■  •■    Mr  Bee,  who  lived   in  thi    I 

neighbor] I.  and  was  here  as  earl)     -  L826      He  did  little  jobs  of  such  work,  though 

he  t  Methodist  minister  and  ;i  fanner. 

Thomas  Orendorfl  was  born  A.ugust  I  l    L800, at  Spartansburg,  9   •'.    He  oame  to 

in  1817,  when   this  was  a  Territory,  having   been  present  ;it  the  birth  of  the 

-    te,  as  well  as  a  prominent  actor  in  it-  subsequent  development     He  lived   in 

ral  different  places,  having  moved  from  Sangamon  County,  01.,  to  Keg,  now  Bl  ■•  m 
ing  Grove,  on   the  '_'<1   day  of   May,   1823.     Thomas  Orendorfl   was   then   a   single 
man,  and  made  his  home  with  bis  brother  William,  who  accompanied  him.     Il>  made 
i  claim  near  the  Mason  farm,  about  three  miles  south  of  the  city  of  Bloomington. 

October  5,  1824,  be  married  M  irj  Malinda  Walker,  daughter  of  William  Walker, 
me  of  our  most  prominent  pioneers.  This  was  the  first  wedding  in  Blooming  Grove. 
The  first  in  the  county  was  the  marriage  of  John  Taylor  t  .  Temperance  Stringfield,  at 
Randolph's  Grove  in  June,  1824  Rev,  K.  Rhodes  married  this  couple,  and  at  the 
close  nf  the  a  remonj  published  a  notice  of  the  intended  marriage  of  the  young  couple 
it    Blooming  Grove      He  also  posted   written  notices  of   their  intention,  and   when 

time  arrived  performed  the  ceremony.  The  newly-married  pair  moved  into  a  cabin 
•  hi  Mr  Orendorff's  claim,  where  they  made  their  home  for  a  number  of  years,  until  Mr. 
Orendorff,  in  his  anxiety  to  be  near  the  open  prairie,  convenient  to  a  good  Btock-range, 
moved  to  what  was  then  called  Little  Grove,  nearly  a  mile  east  of  Blooming  Grove,  ti  e 
miles  southeast  of  our  city,  where,  with  his  venerable  wife,  be  is  still  living,  both  being 

in  comparatively  g 1  health.    It  is  rare,  indeed,  that  we  can  find  a  couple  who  have  b<    o 

married  fifty-five  years,  ami  when  we  take  into  account  the  severe  pi er  life  they  have 

ttnir  g 1  fortune  seems  almost  wonderful. 

In  Prof.  Duis'  ••<! 1  <  M<1  Time-  in  .McLean  County,"  we  read     "When  Thomas 

ni'l  William  Orendorff  settled  in  McLean  County,  the  old  chief  of  the  Backapoos    Mr 
0  now  thinks  these   Indians   were    Delawares    came  with    Machina     afterward   their 

chief    ami  ordered  them  ti>  leave.     But   the  old  chief  Bpoke  English  in  Buch  a  | r 

manner  that  Thomas  Orendorff  told  him  to  keep  still  and  let  Machina  talk.  Then 
Machina  drew  himself  up  and  said  in  his  heavy  voice:  'Too  much  come  back,  white 
man.  t'  other  side  Sangamon.1     Mr.  Orendorff  told  Maohinathat  the  latter  had  Bold  the 

land  to  the  white-;     hut     Maehina  denied  it.  and    the   discussion  Waxed    warm,  and    the 

chiefs  went   away,  feeling  verj  much  insulted.     Mr.  Orendorff's  friends  considered  his. 

life  very  much  in  danger,  and  he  was  advised  bj  Judge  Latham,  the  Indian  agent,  to 

the  count)  ;    but  he  attended  to  hi.-  hii-iin --  ami  wa-  not   molested.     At  one  tim 

Indian  called  Turkej   eam,-   to    Mr  Orendorff,  and   gave  him  warning  that    Machina 

would  kill  him;  but  no  attempt  was  made  to  put  such  a  threat  into  execution.'1     Mr. 

lorff  still  remembers  man)  incidents  in  relation  to  the  Indian-      He  says  at  one 

be  was  talking  with  Maehina  about    killing  people.     "  JTon  wouldn't  kill  a  white 

i  would)    .       said    Mr.  O.        N  'In-   Indian.   -I  go  hell   and   damnation," 

indicating  that    be   knew  the  penalty  as  taught  1>\  the  missionaries      Mr,  Orendorff's 

memory,  as  also  that  of  his  wife,  is  now  somewhat  defective;     ind  when  we  oonsider 


8 

their  early,  anxious  experiences  with  the  Indians,  their  pioneer  life,  and  their  old  age. 
we  only  wonder  at  their  being  still  alive  and  as  comfortable  as  we  now  find  them. 

Mr.  Orendorff  was  always  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  infant  settlement. 
When  the  plans  for  a  new  county  were  fully  matured,  he  was  selected  with  Rev.  James 
Latta,  to  go  to  Vandalia  to  secure  from  the  Legislature  an  act  of  incorporation.  These 
county  projects  were  very  numerous  at  that  time,  one  of  the  principal  matters  before 
the  Legislature  being  the  proper  consideration  of  the  many  county  and  county-seat 
projects  presented  from  the  newly-settled  parts  of  the  State.  Our  committee  urged 
their  claims  so  successfully  that  the  bill  for  the  incorporation  of  McLean  County  was 
passed  by  the  house  in  the  forenoon  and  by  the  Senate  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same 
day. 

Mr.  Orendorff  has  held  several  offices,  having  been  the  first  Coroner  of  Tazewell 
County  in  1827,  when  by  virtue  of  his  office  he  took  the  place  of  the  County  Assessor 
who  had  failed  to  qualify,  and  he  assessed  the  immense  territory,  making  a  trip  on 
horse-back  to  the  settlements  toward  Ottawa  and  Hennepin,  on  the  Illinois  River.  He 
was  appointed  Assessor  and  Treasurer  for  McLean  County  at  its  organization,  and  often 
acted  in  prominent  positions. 

We  cannot  help  regarding  Mr.  Orendorff  with  a  feeling  of  veneration  akin  to  rev- 
erence. Here  is  a  man  who  came  to  Illinois  when  it  was  a  Territory  ;  who  has  witnessed 
the  full  development  of  our  wonderful  State ;  who  was  one  of  the  principal  organizers 
of  McLean  County ;  who  has  seen  the  full  growth  of  our  city  ;  who  represents  the 
pioneers  of  Blooming  Grove,  being  with  his  wife  among  the  last  now  living. 
Bloomington  should  take  delight  in  honoring  these  noble  people,  and  should  be  proud 
to  acknowledge  its  appreciation  of  their  life-long  services. 

This  couple  are  the  parents  of  eleven  children.  John  Berry  Orendorff,  the  oldest 
who  lives  on  the  farm  adjoining  his  father's,  is  one  of  the  best  known  of  the  large  con- 
nection of  Orendorffs.  The  others  are  all  well  known  and  all  highly  respected  in  their 
several  homes,  which  are  in  a  number  of  different  States. 

Esquire  William  Orendorff's  name  will  frequently  appear  in  this  history,  as  he  was 
one  of  the  leading  men  of  this  settlement,  in  fact,  of  Central  Illinois.  He  transacted 
most  of  the  public  business  of  this  precinct  for  several  years.  His  children  were  four- 
teen in  number,  of  whom  three  are  living  in  this  county.  Oliver  H.  P.  and  John 
Lewis  live  in  Blooming  Grove,  and  are  among  the  best  known  and  most  popular  of  our 
citizens.     They  have  a  brother  at  Cheney's  Grove. 

The  early  settlers  found  here  an  abundance  of  game,  consisting  of  deer,  turkeys, 
wolves  and  the  smaller  birds  and  animals.  The  immense  prairies  formed  most  admira- 
ble pastures  for  deer,  while  the  groves  were  the  skulking-places  of  the  large  wolves  that 
were  very  plenty.  Some  of  the  pioneers  were  mighty  hunters,  while  in  every  family  a 
gun  was  kept  ready  for  the  valuable  game  that  might  at  any  hour  come  within  easy  reach. 
The  venison  of  those  early  days  was  a  very  convenient  substitute  for  the  meat-markets 
of  modern  times,  and  though  not  quite  so  sure  to  be  found  when  wanted,  was,  in  many 
instances,  almost  as  indispensable. 

Deerskins,  coonskins  and  wolf-robes  were  important  articles  of  commerce,  and  in 
the  first  stores  kept  a  few  years  later  by  Allin,  Covell  and  Gridley,  these  valuables  were 
the  leading  staples,  forming,  with  beeswax  and  honey,  the  most  common  payment 
from   many  a  farmer   who  in   after  years  sold  his    hogs  and  cattle  by  the  hundred, 


though  hi  the  time  wi  ar<  now  alluding  to,  from  I~~l"_'  to  lv'_'T.  there  was  do  reliable 
market  for  these  articles  Dearer  than  Vandalia,  nr  the  trading-points  on  the  Wabash  in 
Indiana 

A  roll  statement  of  the  tiials  and  difficulties  encountered  by  our  piom  innot 

given   in  this  place,  as  we  are  simply  ohronicling  events ;  l -u t  ire  might  mention  a 

if  the  obstacles  which  they  Buffered   from   more  than   any  others.     The  w  int  of 

_- 1  markets,  or  in  fact,  of  any  market  at  all,  has  been  mentioned.     The  prairie  fires 

rs  dreaded  more  than  almost  anything  else  in  early  times,  these  fires 
would  come  rolling  before  the  wind  in  the  fall  and  spring,  often  sweeping  away  feno  -. 
farms  or  grain   stacks,  and  causing  Bevere  I  l  enerally  shared  with 

each  other  after  Buch  disasters,  dividing  crops  with  those  who  had  been  unfortunate,  or 
turning  oul  daj  or  night  to  fight  fires,  without  the  formality  of  an  invitation. 

But  the  Baddesl  trouble  of  all  was  the  malarial  sickness  of  the  early  times. 
Nearly  every  family  was  afflicted,  disease  and  death  being  faced  by  all  who  ventured  to 
remain  in  this  country  in  the  earlj  days  when  the  prairie  Bod  was  being  broken  and 
Bubdued.  After  the  prairie  land  was  mostly  improved,  which  brings  as  down  as  late  as 
1855,  the  health  of  the  settlements  grew  better,  and  for  the  last  twenty-five  years  there 
baa  been  comparatively  little  malarial  diseasi 

During  the  period  that  elapsed  from  1822  to  1827  Payette  County  had  jurisdic- 
tion over  all  the  territory  dow  within  the  present  limits  of  McLean  County,  and  on 
north  as  far  as  the  I llin. .i-;  River.  Vandalia,  the  county  seat,  was  over  one  hundred 
miles  distant.  Blooming  Grove  could  exert  hut  little  influence  in  so  large  a  district, 
and  its  inhabitants  urged  the  formation  of  a  new  county.  For  man}  years,  the  only 
official  in  all  this  region  was  Mr.  William  Orendorff,  who  was  commissioned  in  1^_'."».  by 
Gov.  Coles,  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Fayette  County.  Bis  jurisdiction  extended  almost 
indefinitely  toward  Wisconsin.     The  distance  to  Vandalia  was  bo  great  that  very  few  of 

ttlers  i  \.  r  visited  tin-  county  seat,  unless  it  was  on  business  of  the  utmost  impor- 
tance. There  was  one  important  Stale  election  while  our  pioneers  were  residents  of 
Payette  County — that  of  1824. 

At  this  election,  there  was  great  excitement  on  the  slavery  question.  On  its 
result  depended  the  calling  of  a  convention  which  would  make  the  introduction  of 
slavery  possible,  and  by  a  ■lose  vote  it  waa  decided  in  favor  of  freedom.  The  sentiment 
of  Blooming  Grove  was  unanimously  for  freedom      The  canvass  of  1824,  in  the  older 

settled  portion-  of  the   State,  was  exceedingly  hitter  and    animated  :    hut.  in  the  Datura! 

course  of  events,  people  in  a  neighborhood  which  had  only  been  settled  two  years  could 
have  had  few  opportunities  for  being  acquainted  with  the  politics  of  the  9  ol  which 
thev  had  jo  r<  cently  become  citizens. 

The  population  of  Illinois  incr<  Bsed  from  55,000,  in  1  820,  to  1 57, 1  15  in  I  830,  an 
addition  in  ten  years  of  200  per  cent.     Population  was  then  most  dense  on  the  Ohio 

r  and  along  the  Mississippi  in  Southern  Illinois.     All  of  Northern,  Western,  and 

a    portion  of  Central    Illinois,  was    in    the   possession  of  the   Indian-,  of  whom  those    in 

northern  part  were  hostile,  or  in   a  quasi-hostile  condition.     When  our  pioi 
arrived  here,  the  Indians  intimated  plainly  that  they  preferred  to  have  no  white  men 
north  of  the  Sangamon  River.      North  of  tin'    Illinois  River,  the   settlers   ,|id    not    dare 
to  locate;  and,  from   ls:i<»  to  1830,  the  region  of  Central   Illinois  was  almost  debatable 
ground,  onlj  occupied  by  the  most  daring  and  hardy  pionei 


10 

These  pioneers  flocked  in  rapidly,  and  took  up  the  most  desirable  locations  along 
the  edge  of  the  timher,  holding  every  inch  of  ground  once  occupied,  going  forward 
with  improvements  and  making  homes  for  themselves  and  their  families,  giving  this 
settlement,  in  the  course  of  the  few  years  during  which  we  have  watched  its  development, 
the  name  of  being  one  of  the  best  regulated  of  any  in  the  State,  and  of  possessing  a 
remarkably  enterprising  population. 

Fayette  County  was  evidently  too  large  to  be  convenient,  and,  in  1826,  it  was 
divided,  Vermilion  County  having  been  erected  in  that  year,  including  the  territory 
now  under  consideration.  No  wonder  that  this  division  was  called  for.  when  Vandalia, 
the  county  seat  of  Fayette  County,  was  distant  over  one  hundred  miles.  No  wonder 
that  the  first  couple  married  on  the  Mackinaw  dispensed  with  a  license,  and  in  its  stead 
posted  notices  of  their  intention  and  called  on  a  Justice  to  perform  the  ceremony  with- 
out the  authority  of  the  too  great  county  of  Fayette  !  Blooming  Grove,  for  one  year 
was  in  Vermilion  County,  though  very  little  county  business  was  transacted  during  that 
year  by  citizens  living  in  this  locality. 

Blooming  Grove  contained  about  six  thousand  acres  of  the  very  finest  timber  to  be 
found  in  the  West.  Nearly  every  acre  was  covered  with  tall,  heavy  trees,  while  the  soil 
was  of  unrivaled  fertility.  It  has  been  remarked,  frequently,  that  nowhere  in  this  State 
is  there  to  be  found  such  •  a  large  body  of  rich  timber-land,  as  the  general  character 
of  the  soil,  which  is  covered  with  a  natural  growth  of  trees,  is  not  of  the  best  for  farm- 
ing purposes.  The  sudden  development  of  this  beautiful  grove  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that,  in  1827,  it  was  the  happy  home  of  no  less  than  twenty  families  of  industrious, 
well-behaved  settlers,  most  of  whom  were  surrounded  by  all  the  actual  comforts,  even  if 
they  lacked  most  of  the  luxuries,  of  life. 

These  families  formed  at  Blooming  Grove  a  very  important  settlement,  and  began 
to  be  restive  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Fayette  County.  In  1826,  Vermilion  County  was 
formed,  and  its  territory  seemed  to  include  the  eastern  part  of  what  is  now  McLean.  Our 
settlers,  however,  had  little  to  do  with  either  Fayette  or  Vermilion  County,  and  it  is 
difficult  to  state  the  exact  condition  of  affairs  during  this  year.  The  records  of  the 
State  Department  at  Springfield  show  that  the  most  of  the  territory  of  McLean  County 
was  included  in  Vermilion  County  in  the  year  1826  ;  but  we  find  from  a  careful  inspec- 
tion of  the  official  records  of  Fayette  County  that  during  the  year  1826  this  portion  of 
McLean  was  recognized  as  being  within  the  limits  of  Fayette.  The  old  settlers  state 
that  their  being  included  in  Vermilion  was  some  kind  of  a  "  fraud,"  and  that  they  never 
were  properly  citizens  of  the  latter  county.  It  is  an  historical  fact  that  Fayette  claimed 
jurisdiction  here  down  to  the  time  of  the  organization  of  Tazewell  County  in  1827,  and 
also  that  our  citizens  recognized  the  demand,  and  hence  we  do  not  see  much  force 
in  Vermilion's  "  technical  "  claim.  It  appears  that  at  the  March  term  of  the  Fayette 
County  Commissioners'  Court  in  1826,  it  was  "ordered  that  all  that  part  of  the  county 
north  of  Township  Seventeen  (17)  shall  compose  an  election  district,  to  be  known  by  the 
name  of  the  Orendorff  Precinct,  and  the  election  therein  to  be  held  at  the  house  of 
William  Orendorff,  in  said  precinct ;  and  further,  that  William  Orendorff,  John  Benson 
and  James  Latta  be  appointed  Judges  of  Election  of  the  same  precinct."  An  election 
was  held  on  the  7th  of  August,  1826,  and,  on  September  4,  at  the  County  Court,  the 
proper  fees  were  allowed  these  judges,  and  also  to  the  clerks  of  the  election — William 
See  and  William  H.  Hodge  "  in  State  paper  at  two  for  one."       William  Orendorff  was 


11 

allowed  hi-  fees  for  returning  the  election  to  the  oonnty  seat  at  Vandalia  125  miles— 
at  the  rate  of  1"  oente  per  mile,  also  "  in  State  paper  al  two  for  on  The  record 

this  count;  <!<>  not  show  tha(  our  settlement  had  any  count)!  business  until  lv_.">.  when 
Joseph  B.  Herbert  was  appointed  Road  Supervisor,  and  these  few  entries  which  \\ 
riven  are  all  the  items  of  business  thai  appeared  to  be  of  an)  interest  to  the  inhabitai 
of  Blooming  Grove,  who  were  so  tar  removed  from  the  count)  seat.  Ii  is  interesting  to 
note  bow  large  ;i  district  was  comprised  within  the  "Orendorfl  Precinct  organized  by 
the  above-mentioned  order  of  Payette  County.  It  included  t  *  i « -  northern  portion  of  the 
present  county  of  Macon,  most  of  DeWitt,  Piatt,  McLean,  and,  in  fact,  a  Btrip  of 
country  of  1 1 » .  -  same  width  from  east  to  west  in  I  County,  and  extending  north  as 

far  as  the  Illinois  River,  or  to  the  Wisconsin  line,  in  Fayette  County,  was  generally 
understood  at  that  time  to  include  all  the  territory  between  its  southern  boundary  and 
the  northern  line  of  the  State  It  would  be  of  great  interest  could  we  give  the  list  ol 
voters  who  attended  this  first  eleetion,  but  the  papi  rs  have  been  lost  or  mislaid. 

The  records  -how  that  James  AJliu  was  one  of  the  Fayette  County  Commissioners 
from  1822  to  lv'_'">.  and  judging  from  the  frequenc)  with  which  his  name  appears,  he 

must  have  1 n  a  valuable  member.     He  thus  acquired  influence  and  position,  and 

when  he  moved  to  Blooming  <  Irove  at  a  later  date,  he  was,  of  course,  well  known  to  our 
leading  citiz  The  books  of  the  Circuit  Clerk.-  office  al  Vandalia  do  not  Bhow  that 

a  single  ea-e  of  either  criminal  or  civil  action  ever  appeared  there  from  this  -•  tt  i  mi  nt, 

neither  do  the  n rds  give  any  evidence  of  the  recording  of  dei  ds  or  mortg  igt  s.     As 

the  land-sales  had  nol  then  taken  place,  there  could,  of  course,  be  no  use  tor  such 
records.  There  are  a  few  records  of  marriages,  the  last  one  being  thai  of  Jacob  SpawT 
to  Eliza  Ann  Trimmer,  who  wore  "  published,"  no  license  having  been  asked  for,  and  tl 

married  by  William  Orendorff  December  30,  1826.      Blooming  Grove,  it  appears, 

became  known  at  the  county  -eat  in  rather   a    vague   and  indefinite  manner,  hut   was  to,, 
remote  to  receive  much  attention.  L25  mile-  being  too  far  even  tor  those  pioneer  cUv 
Fayette  County  was  destined  to  lie  subdivided,  and  in  its  division  our  territory  was  to 
undergo  several  important  changes  >f  jurisdiction. 

In  the  year  1  827,  'he  county  of  Tazewell  was  organized,  and  the  career  i  t'  Blooming 
Grove  while  under  it-  control  will  form  our  next  chapti 

BLOOMING    GROVE    in    TAZEWELL   COUNT! 

When  the  new  county  of  Tazewell  was  organized,  in  1827  Blooming  Grove  was 
its  most  important  settlement.  We  liml  it-  inhabitants  had  now  no  cause  oi  complaint, 
they  were  among  the  most  influential  of  the  leading  citizens.  The  records  of  Taze 
I  County -how  that  it-  first  County  Commissioners'  Court  was  held  April  1".  1827, 
at  tin-  house  of  Mr.  William  Orendorff.  This  Court  consisted  of  .lain,-  Latta,  of 
Blooming  Grove ;  Benjamin  Briggs  and  G  i  •  Hittle,  from  other  parts  of  the  count) 
of  the  new  county-  tir.-t  officials,  John  Benson  was  Treasurer  Thomas  Orendorff, 
i  roner;  and  W.  II.  Hodge,  Sheriff — all  of  Blooming  Grove  The  next  meeting  of 
the  Court  wa-  lii-ld  at  the  house  of  Ephraim  Stout,  at  Stout's  Grove,  and  the  tir.-t  piece 

of  probate    hiisiiie.-s    transacted    in    the    new  county  related    to    one   of  the    residents  of 

Blooming  I  >i  ■-. i      M rs    Benjamin  '  Sox. 

Among  the  pioneers  of  Blooming  Grove,  we  find  no  one  more  worthy  of  men 
tion  than  Mrs    Benjamin  Coz      Her  husband  had  oome  here  in  1825,  had  purchased 


12 

of  John  W.  Dawson  an  improved  claim  with  a  log  cabin  ;  had  returned  to  Ohio 
for  his  family  and  died  within  a  few  weeks  after  his  return.  His  widow,  the  mother  of 
eight  children,  determined  on  emigrating,  and  with  this  large  family  braved  the  dangers 
of  the  long  road,  and  arrived  at  Blooming  Grove,  September  23,  1826.  When  we  consider 
the  difficulties  which  the  stoutest  men  encountered  at  that  day,  the  bravery  of  this  lady 
entitles  her  to  the  front  rank  among  our  pioneers.  April  25,  1827,  we  find  from  the 
Tazewell  records,  Mrs.  Felina  Cox,  widow  of  Benjamin  Cox,  was  appointed  guardian  of 
Aurelius,  Benjamin,  Nancy  and  David  Cox,  with  William  Orendorffand  William  Walker 
as  securities  in  the  sum  of  $1,800.  Mrs.  Cox  came  here  when  Indians  were  plenty; 
when  only  the  bravest  men  had  courage  to  penetrate  into  this  wilderness,  and  she 
deserves  to  be  mentioned  among  the  heroines  ot  Illinois. 

The  first  blacksmith  on  the  south  side  of  Blooming  Grove  was  a  man  of  the  name 
of  Dow,  who  came  in  1829.  The  neighbors  turned  out  and  built  him  a  shop,  rejoicing 
at  now  being  able  to  obtain  blacksmithing  near  their  homes.  Mr.  Dow  only  remained 
a  short  time.  The  first  stock  of  goods  was  kept  by  Mr.  Black,  in  1828  or  1829,  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  William  Orendorff.  The  first  shoemaker  seems  to  have  been  Mr.  Will- 
iam OrendorfF,  who  frequently  made  and  mended  shoes  for  his  neighbors,  who  would 
gather  corn  or  do  some  other  farm  work  for  him  in  payment.  The  first  blacksmith  and 
carpenter  work  was  accomplished  in  the  same  manner  by  the  more  ingenious  of  our 
pioneers,  as  during  those  early  times,  the  mother  of  invention,  "  necessity,"  was  ever 
present  to  stimulate  all  to  deeds  and  works  the  actors  hardly  supposed  themselves  capa- 
ble of  performing.  In  fact,  this  statement  is  true  even  in  these  times,  when  our  states- 
men, our  generals  and  our  capitalists  arise  from  the  most  humble  surroundings,  brought 
to  perfection  by  necessity,  or  in  other  words,  by  the  genius  of  our  free  institutions. 

Mr.  William  Orendorff  was  made  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Tazewell  County,  and 
filled  the  office  for  many  years.  Judging  from  the  early  records  he  married  a  large 
number  of  young  couples.  He  married  the  first  couple  that  wedded  in  this  region  after 
Tazewell  was  organized,  Abram  Hobbs  to  Elizabeth  Evans,  June  25,  1827;  Miss  Evans 
was  a  daughter  of  the  William  Evans  who  afterward  settled  in  what  is  now  the  city  of 
Bloomington.  The  same  year,  he  married  Amos  Lundy  to  Susannah  Copes,  August  16, 
and  the  next  year,  on  the  1st  of  January,  1828,  John  Kinder  to  Mary  Cox.  The  lat- 
ter were  residents  of  Blooming  Grove,  as  were  John  Cox  and  Elizabeth  Walker,  who 
were  married  March  18, 1828.  October  23,  1828,  James  Hodge  was  married  to  Minerva 
J.  See.  All  these  were  married  by  Mr.  Orendorff,  who  seems  to  have  carried  on  a  lively 
business.  Blooming  Grove  was  gay  with  weddings  in  those  times — as  James  Benson 
married  Polly  Hinshaw,  November  16, 1828;  while  January  1, 1829,  Henry  Miller  married 
Temperance  Evans,  daughter  of  William  Evans.  This  last  was  a  real  Bloomington 
wedding,  the  first,  probably,  that  ever  occurred  within  the  present  limits  of  the  city  of 
Bloomington.  The  bride  of  that  day,  now  Mrs.  Jane  Whitcomb,  is  still  living  at  Old 
Town,  in  this  county.  Three  more  weddings  took  place  in  the  year  1829 — Richard 
Grass  to  Elizabeth  Maxwell,  William  Maxwell  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hobbs,  and  James 
Walker  to  Jane  Brock.  Within  a  little  over  two  years,  we  thus  find  there  were  eight 
or  nine  marriages  of  Blooming  Grove  couples,  indicating  a  degree  of  enterprise  that 
has  not  been  surpassed  by  any  of  the  later  inhabitants. 

June  25,  1827,  it  was  ordered  that  a  new  voting  precinct,  to  be  called  Blooming 
Grove,  be  formed  of  all  that  part  of  the  county,  east  of  Range  3,  and  north  of  Town 


18 

22.  Tliis  voting preoincl  was  therefore  thirty  wx  miles  from  easl  lowest,  and  extended 
from  the  smith  line  of  Bloomington  Township,  to  the  northern  line  of  Tazewell  County 
on  the  north.  Tin'  first  election  was  held  at  the  house  of  John  Benson,  and  the  first 
Judges  of  Election  were  E  Rhodes,  Senrj  Vansickle  and  William  Orendorff.  This 
immense  territory  was  erected  into  a  road  district,  and  Joseph  B.  Earbord  was  made 
i:  ad  Supen isor. 

The  firal  grand  jurors  from  Blooming  Grove  Precinct  were  William  Orendorff, 
John  II  S.  Rhodes,  William  Walker,  L.  Buret,  Peter  McCullough  and  William  Gil- 
rton,  w  1 1 - . - . ■  names  were  drawn  August  7.  L827.  Prom  tlii-  time  until  the  year  L831, 
when  the  newcountj  of  McLean  was  organized,  the  residents  of  Blooming  Grove  trans 
•d  county  business  at  Mackinaw,  the  county  scat  of  Tazewell,  only  about  twenty 
miles  away,  and  the  transition  From  the  far  away  county  Beat  at  Vandalia  was  found  m 
convenient  and  agreeable.  There  was,  in  those  day-,  but  little  business  to  be  attended 
to,  but  it  was  promptly  despatched.  We  find  that  the  first  road  in  this  region  was  laid 
out  in  1827, from  "the  upper  point  of  Kickapoo and  Salt  Creek,  to  the  north*  aer 

of  Blooming  Grove,  thence  to  the  Dry  Grove,  thence  to  Mackinaw  to  the  east  end  of 
Main  Btreet."     This  was  the  first  legal  road  in  Bloomington. 

One  ')!'  the  great  difficulties  of  the  pioneers,  was  the  want  of  mills  for  making  flour 

and  meal.       Most  of  the  stream-  of  this  region  are  liable  t . »  go  dry  in  summer,  and  W(  IM 

always  a  j r  dependence  ;  but  at  this  early  time,  very  few  good  mills  had  been  erected 

in  this  vicinity.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  teams  to  go  to  mill  all  the  way  to 
Attica,  on  the  Wabash,  in  Indiana,  distant  12(»  miles,  or  to  Perryville,  11<»  miles. 
They  often  went  to  the  Sangamon,  over  50  miles,  to  the  Kankakee.  70  miles,. and  to 
Green's  mill,  on  the  Fox  River,  above  Ottawa,  over  tit)  miles.  When  Whistler's  mill 
was  built  on  the  Mackinaw,  in  Tazewell  County,  it  was  considered  quite  a  convenient 
tlthougfa  over  -!<>  miles  from  Blooming  Grove.  Various  were  the  expedients  for  dis- 
pensing with  these  long  trips.  One  of  them  was  pounding  corn  in  a  piece  of  hard 
wood,  hollowed  out  on  the  principle  of  the  pestle  and  mortar,  and  another  was  the  her 

mill.     'I'll,  -e  mills  were  erected  in  nearly  every  settlement  ;  i  being  made  here,  a  hand 

mill.  l>y  Bbenezer  Rhodes,  in  1824,  and  one  in  the  winter  of  1830,  a  hurst  -mill,  by 
Isaac  Baker.  The  mill-stones  were  common  "nigger-head"  -tunes,  from  the  Burface  of 
the    prairie,  held    in  a  frame  in  such   a    manner,  that  a  horse  traveling   in  a  Circle  would 

them  in  motion.  After  the  wheat  was  ground,  the  Bour  was  separated  from  the 
bran  by  Bifting  it  through  a  bottom  of  two  cloths,  by  which  the  flour  was  separated.  It  was 
rather  a  wasteful  method,  and  very  slow,  but  it  generally  happened  that  the  flour  thus 
obtained  made  g I  bread.  Possibly  our  modern  u  new  process1  flour,  from  the  best  Kan- 
wheat,  tastes  I*  ss  Bweet  to  our  palates  thar  did  the  home-made  article  of  fifty  years 
Crushing  corn,  however,  was  the  principal  work  of  these  mills.  Small  water- 
mill-  were  constructed,  wherever  there  was  an  opportunity  ;  mostly,  however,  at  a  later 
day.  There  was  even  one  on  Sugar  Creek,  near  the  present  city  of  Bloomington,  built 
by  Samuel  Lander,  which  did  good  Bervice  foi  Beveral  year-,  but  later  than  the  time  of 
which  we  are   now  Bpeaking.     It  atood  but   a  Bhorl  dist  ince  below  the  old   Pekin  road, 

and  the  old  dam  is  -till  to  !>■  se  n.     A  mill  was  huilt  on  the  Kicka] ami  several  on 

the   Mackinaw,  hut   the  settlers,  in    1829,  longed  for  a  reliable  .-team-mill  that   would 

never  go  dry.      Ml   these  difficulties   w  re  met,  however,  by  a  ol rfulness  peculiar  to 

these  pioneers.     They   were  almost   Burrounded  by  Indian-,  of  whose  friendship  tl 


14 

were  never  sure,  being,  in  fact,  in  one  of  the  frontier  counties  of  the  State,  Woodford 
not  yet  being  organized,  the  territory  of  Tazewell  extending  to  the  Illinois  River, 
north  of  which  was  the  disputed  ground,  where,  in  1831  and  1832.  Black  Hawk's 
bands  roamed  and  massacred  at  will,  and  the  public  mind  was  in  constant  alarm  from 
rumors  of  anticipated  outbreaks.  There  were  also  bold  and  venturesome  settlers  scat- 
tered along  the  groves  and  creeks  of  Woodford,  at  this  time  citizens  of  Tazewell,  and 
also  a  few  in  the  Vermilion  timber,  in  what  is  at  the  present  time  in  Livingston  County, 
but  who  were,  at  this  date,  included  in  the  county  of  Tazewell.  We  shall  see,  in  a 
short  time,  that  at  a  later  period  Blooming  Grove  and  its  neighbors  raised  a  company 
of  rangers  for  sixty  days'  service  on  the  frontier  of  McLean,  who,  under  Capt.  J.  H. 
S.  Rhodes,  performed  good  service  from  the  head  of  Mackinaw  to  the  Vermilion,  besides 
hearing  of  more  impoitant  work  in  the  Black  Hawk  war. 

Our  settlers  were  occupied  in  not  only  securing  an  education  for  their  children,  in 
clearing  and  fencing  farms,  raising  food  and  obtaining  clothing,  but  they  were  compelled 
to  think  of  their  defense  against  a  common  enemy,  and  we  need  not  wonder  that  their 
lives  were  anxious  and  laborious.  We  are  surprised  that  they  found  time  to  participate 
in  the  Presidential  elections  of  1824  and  1828,  which  took  place  during  this  period. 
Tradition  informs  us  that  the  voters  were  generally  Jacksonians — even  as  late  as  1832,  only 
six  in  the  county  having  voted  for  Jackson's  opponent.  In  1824,  the  State  gave  two 
electoral  votes  for  Jackson,  and  one  for  Adams,  and  the  indignation  of  citizens  in  this 
part  of  the  State  knew  no  bounds  when  the  election  of  Adams  was  proclaimed.  In  1828,  the 
vote  was  for  Jackson,  with  little  opposition  except  on  State  and  minor  officers.  Elections  in 
those  days  were  different  from  what  we  have  seen  in  later  years.  People  voted  for  men,  and 
not  as  much  for  measures.  Party  lines  hardly  existed,  or  if  they  did,  the  State  was  so 
strongly  Democratic  that  opposition  was  confined  to  a  choice  of  candidates.  Nomina- 
tions were  not  made  by  conventions  until  in  later  times.  Men  became  candidates  and 
ran  for  office  on  their  merits,  and  the  result,  perhaps,  was  about  the  same  as  now, 
though  the  means  for  accomplishing  it  might  differ.  To  vote  against  a  candidate  par- 
took of  the  nature  of  a  personal  affront,  and  many  of  the  contests  were  peculiarly 
bitter  and  aggravating.  Offices  were  sought  for  with  as  much  avidity  as  at  present. 
In  the  formation  of  new  counties  men  saw  opportunities  for  new  offices  as  tempting, 
no  doubt,  for  their  honors  as  we  have  seen  them  in  later  times  fo»  their  emoluments. 

The  center  of  population  and  influence  was  in  the  Orendorff  neighborhood,  about 
four  miles  southeast  of  our  city,  where,  at  William  Walker's  house,  Mr.  Allin  opened  a 
store  late  in  1829,  where  there  was,  as  early  as  1824,  a  log  schoolhouse,  and  where,  from 
indications,  it  was  thought,  as  early  as  in  1826,  quite  a  village  might  one  day  be  built. 
Blooming  Grove  was,  in  1827,  well  settled  as  a  farming  neighborhood.  It  was  surrounded 
on  all  sides  by  a  belt  of  farms,  some  of  them  quite  large,  all  of  them  valued  highly  by 
their  owners.  These  owners  had  most  of  them  built  comfortable  log  houses,  had  con- 
structed many  miles  of  rail  fences,  and  had  broken  and  cultivated  a  large  area  of  prairie- 
land.  They  were  employed,  as  were  all  the  pioneers  of  the  day,  in  subduing  nature,  but 
with  it  all  they  were  social  and  happy,  having  a  care  for  the  morals  and  education  of 
their  growing  families,  and  making  for  the  times  one  of  the  pleasantest  settlements  in  the 
new  and  growing  State.  There  was  in  the  neighborhood  more  than  the  usual  amount  of 
warm-hearted  friendship  and  neighborly  affection.  All  were  equal  in  social  state  and 
dignity.      Fashion  was  not  then  the  inexorable  goddess  we  are  accustomed  to  meet  in 


is 

a — perhaps  we  may  add  -these  degenerate  days      Our  pioneers  were  proud 
i,,  be  attired  in  lhimr--i.nn.  woven  by  the  busy  housewife  of  th<  1    while  such  * 

thins  or  buggj   was  unknown  in  Bloomiu  Husbands  wenl  to 

ohureb  on  foot  ;  their  a  le  the  h  tarrying  with  them  such  of  the  children  as 

too  young  to  make  their  way  by  walking.     It'  the  g 1  wife  was  clad  in  ■  calii 

durable  texture  and  fast  color  she  was  as  happy  as  the  iiu<-  ladies  of  to-day  robed  in 

-kin-.     The  religion  of  the  times  favored  a  very  rigid  and  dherenoe 

to  plain  and  unadorned  attire,  making,  as  it  would  almost  look  to  as,  rather  a  virtue  of  a 

-itv.  although  a  few  years  later,  when  the  rapid  accumulation  "f  wealth  rendered 
display  a  matter  of  easy  accomplishment,  we  shall  find  large  numbers  of  the  pion 
from  motives  of  principle,  refrainin  refully  from  any  vain  Bhow  or  anneo  Kiarj  orna- 

ment as  they  did  in  the  primitive  tim<  a  of  which  we  are  cow  writin 

neighbors,  the  Blooming  Grove  farmers  bad  the  settlers  in  Randolph's  Gi 

ind  Twin  Groves  and  Funk-  Grove,  voting  in  the  same  precinct  with  most  ol  them 
at  first,  while  they  knew  all  the  inhabitants  along  the  Mackinaw,  from  it-  bead  tn  far 
below  the  old  town  of  Mackinaw,  in  Tazcwdl  County,  with  which  county,  it  must  be 
remembered,  they  were  attaohi  <l  until  a  year  after  the  period  we  are  now  discussing.  The 
families  at  <  Ihenej  's  '  Irove  were  also  neighbors  and  friends,  while  people  living  in  M 
and  Sangam  in  Cam  tie-  were  almost  as  well  known  as  those  "  around  the  Grove."  \  mng 
women  then  thought  nothing  of  a  walk  of  five  or  six  miles  to  make  calls,  while  for  visit- 

i  ride  of  thirty  miles  over  the  prairie  was  as  easj  as  one  could  wish. 

The  early  pioneers,  those  who  cam.-  previous  to  October,  L829,  could  not  obtain 
a  legal  title  to  their  farms,  as  the  General  Government  did  not  "Her  the  land  here  for 
gale  until  October,  1829.  Before  this  time  all  the  land  was  held  by  "claims."  The 
settlers  had  an  agreement  among  themselves  by  which  they  allowed  a  man  to  "claim" 
about  as  much  timber-land  as  he  might   a  aerally  not  over  160  acres,  upon  which 

he  mighl  build  his  cabin  and  make  his  other  improvemi  nts  ;  and  woe  unto  the  speculator 
or  new-oomi  r  who  should  attempt  to  "  claim  "  land  already  occupied  by  a  bona-fide  settler. 
I  rove  was  nearly  all  taken  by  these  claimants  before  tie- land  came  into  market, 
and  some  of  the  prairie  adjoining  was.  of  course,  taken  in  the  Bame  manner.  These 
claims  ware  bought  and  sold,  the  purchaser  coming  into  possession  of  the  improvements 
ther  with  whatever  rights  ware  considered  as  appertaining  thereto.  Many  quarrels 
ensued  from   this  Btate  of  affairs,  though  we  do  not  find  that   Blooming  Grove  was  the 

of  any  difficulties  of  DUUCh  note. 

When  the  land -ale- e  mi. ■  off  in  October,  1829,  at  Vandalia,  there  was  a  gathering 
of  pioneers  from  the  townships  offered  for -ale,  at  which  no  speculator  was  allowed  to 
purchase  until  all  settler-  had  made  their  selections;  rather  a  high-handed   proceeding, 

would  now  appear,  but   one  which  was  justified  bj    the  condition  of  the  infant 

settlements. 

The  records  at  our  Court   Hon--  Bhow  that  John    Hendrix  entered  the  first  ti 
of  land  in  the  Grovi    0  tober  9,  1826;  but  as  he  purchased  the  adjoining  eightyon 
tie  9th  day  of  October,  1829,  at   which  time  the  land  all  came  into  market,  there  is 
alm,  that  the  first  record  is  an  error,  and  that  he  bought  both  pieces  at  the 

same  time  in 

A  tract  of  eighty  acres  was  entered  on  the  9th  of  0  1829,  in  the  nami 

Beth  and  tsaac    Baker.     <m  the  next   daj    Ocl      r   10,  it  appears  that   no  less  than 


16 

eighteen  of  the  pioneers  of  Blooming  Grove  entered  their  farms,  indicating  that  a  jolly 
crowd  went  from  here  to  Vandalia  at  that  time.  Within  a  short  time  after  this,  it 
appears,  nearly  the  whole  settlement  secured  their  homes. 

Many  of  our  pioneers  borrowed  money  at  the  exorbitant  rate  of  twenty-five  per 
cent  interest,  in  order  to  secure  their  farms.  Tbere  was  at  that  time  no  usury  law  in 
the  State.  There  were  very  few  capitalists,  money  being  very  scarce  indeed.  Some  of 
the  early  settlers  found  it  impossible  to  hold  and  pay  for  their  farms  at  these  rates, 
although  they  paid  such  a  low  price  for  the  land. 

Quite  a  number  of  our  pioneers  borrowed  money  for  their  farms  of  Dr.  R.  H.  Peebles, 
of  Vandalia,  and  his  name  appears  frequently  on  our  early  records.  He  was  regarded 
as  a  man  of  wealth,  having  loaned  money  over  a  large  area.  We  have  stated  that  this 
region  was  taken  off  from  Fayette  County,  in  1826,  and  included  in  Vermilion  County 
for  a  time.  In  1827,  Tazewell  County  was  formed,  as  we  have  mentioned,  and,  in 
1829,  its  boundaries  were  re-arranged,  and  the  eastern  portion  of  Tazewell,  including 
Blooming  Grove,  was  contained,  nominally,  within  the  limits  of  Vermilion  from  1829 
to  1831,  but  attached  to  Tazewell  for  county  purposes.  In  the  records  of  the  County 
Commissioners'  proceedings  at  Pekin,  this  district  is  often  spoken  of  as  the  "  attached  " 
portion  of  Tazewell  County.  County  lines  were  understood  to  be  in  a  formative  condi- 
tion, and  it  was  entirely  uncertain  where  they  would  eventually  be  permanently  estab- 
lished, and  hence  one  can  realize  that  there  was  great  interest  felt  in  all  schemes  for  the 
formation  of  new  counties.  The  territory  under  consideration  was  "  in  the  market,"  so 
to  speak — ready  for  any  project  that  might  promise  to  benefit  the  interests  of  Blooming 
Grove.  For  several  years,  there  was  quite  a  conflict  between  the  interests  of  a  portion 
of  the  people  living  in  what  was  then  the  "  attached  "  portion  of  Tazewell  and  those  in 
the  western  part  of  the  same  county.  The  latter  were  not  by  any  means  united  in  their 
interests,  as  Pekin  was  aspiring  to  become  a  county  seat,  while  Mackinaw  was  striving 
to  retain  the  prize  then  held. 

One  of  the  last  acts  of  the  Tazewell  County  Court  affecting  the  interests  of 
Blooming  Grove  Precinct  was  at  the  June  term  of  1830,  when  Judges  of  Election 
were  appointed.  They  were  John  Benson,  John  Hendrix  and  John  Cox.  The  election 
was  ordered  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  William  Evans.  This  being  the  year  during 
which  the  project  was  carried  out  for  the  formation  of  a  new  county,  and,  having  taken 
place  after  Mr.  James  Allin  had  opened  his  store  at  this  point,  it  is  altogether  probable 
that  Mr.  Allin  favored  the  holding  of  this  election  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Evans,  in  order 
to  enlighten  the  inhabitants  of  the  Grove  as  to  the  eligibility  of  this  locality  as  a  site  for 
the  county  seat,  although  the  mere  fact  of  his  store  being  here  might  have  been  the 
main  element  of  "  centrality"  that  entered  into  the  case.  At  all  events,  it  is  quite  cer- 
tain that  this  election  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Evans  was  the  first  public  meeting  of  any 
kind  that  was  ever  held  in  the  city  of  Bloomington. 

We  are  now  approaching  the  time  when  the  new  county  of  McLean  was  organized, 
and  it  is  possible  some  of  the  actors  may  have  been  interested  in  the  manufacture  of  new 
offices,  as  much  as  others  were  in  the  location  of  new  county  seats,  and  the  combination 
of  these  inducements  no  doubt  contributed  to  the  formation  of  the  county  of  McLean, 
as  well  as  to  the  location  of  its  capital,  which  was  to  grow  into  the  thriving  city  of 
Bloomington.  It  will,  of  course,  be  remembered  that  Blooming  Grove  was  in  Fayette 
County  until  1827,  when  the  northern  portion  of  Fayette  was  organized  into  the  county 


\ 


17 

of  Tuewell,  on  the  plea  tint  the  in  i  f  settlement  rendered  it  impossible  to  hold 

this  region  as  a  dependen  hundred   miles  from   the  ooanl  ia 

Tl,.  .lint v .  Taxewell,  had  it-  capital  al  Bfaokinawtown,  only  twenty  mil*  at, 

•in. I  henee  our  aettlers  had  no!  the  excuse  of  in  Other  i 

Ii,,.\  ted  for  the  tion  of  an  mination  of  which 

will  show  anty  should  be  authorise  i       I  ./■  iv<      Count]     is  ii 

tl,,  n  existed,  -  i  from  the  Illinois  River  to  the  |  r<  sent  line  of  [roquois  County, 

hborhood,  on  tl  and  to  the  [Uinois  River  on  the  ■•■  I  north,  an 

immense  territory .  now  o  Phis 

rapidly   filling  with  industrious  settlers,  and  it  was  Been  thai   d 
carved  out  of  this  territory  al  no  distant  day.     The  problem  for  those  interested  hi 

:;     wring  Grove   was,   to   detach  sufficient   timber-land    from   Taxewell    to  form 

I  •        Prairie  was  then  reckoned  as  bo  much  wast* — little  better  than  a  desert 

\     r   considerable  scheming,  a  petition  was  taken  to  Vandalia  by  Thon      (|    ndorffand 
Mi    James   Latta,  wb  ed  from  the   Legislature  a  law  for  the  formation  of  a  n 

nitv.  to  I ailed  McLean,  which  was  detached  from  Taxewell  at  the  — ion  of  18 

and  1831 

The  nami  McLean  was  given  in  honor  of  John  M  I.  in,  who  had  been  a  Repre- 
sentative in  Congress,  and  was  great]  ited.  He  had  also  been  twice  a  member  of 
the  United  8l         5  aate,  and  died  in  thai  office  in  1830  ;  and  bis  .Lath  being  a  recent 

nt.  it  was  natural  that  a  ii'-w  county  should  !>'■  named  for  the  magnanimous,  noble 
in. in.  who  never  had  an  enemy  in  his  life.     The  law  provided  that  a  Commission  should 
meet  in  the  new  county  and  proceed  to  locate  it-  county  Beat,  which  was  aeoomplisl 
as  we  shall  briefly  relate;  but  we  will  first  take  a  view  of  what  was  evident  to  those  who 
in  the  i  vent-  .>i  the  tii 
We  Bhould  also  mention  that  by  this  time  there  were  a  number  of  families  along 
the  Mackinaw,  a  good  many  at  White  <  >ak  and  Stout            re,  while   Dry  and   Twin 
Groves,  Randolph's  Grove,  Old  Town  Timber,   Buckles',  Cheney's,  and  in   faotall  the 
irere  j ■•  < ■  j .l»-«i  with    settlers;    and  in  some  places  there  was   still  left  good  tim- 
ber-land unclaimed,  which,  in  a  short  time,  as  was   well  undent I,  would   I      is  fully 

cupied  with  families  as  were  tl ther  tracts  of  timber  in  the  county.  In  ail  this  dis- 
trict the  only  trading-place  was  the  Btore  of  .lane-  Allin.  removed  from  the  house  of 
William  Walker  to  what  is  now  Bloomington,  and  situated  at  what  is  now  the  southeast 
corner  of  Grove  and  Bast  streets.  Of  course,  Mr.  Allin  did  not  Bupply  all  the  goods 
that  were  need,  as  sfaokinawtown  contained  Btores,  while  many  goods  wi  re  purohaf 
at  Springfield,  at  Peoria,  and  at  towns  on  the  Wabash  and  other  places  lint  it  n 
foreseen  that  the  new  county  seat  would  be  a  place  of  considerable  importance,  even  to 
supply  the  trade  already  « •  x i - 1 i 1 1 lt .  while  with  the  increase  of  settlement  expected,  b  i 

raid  become  at  some  future  time,  extensive  enough  to  Bustain  considerable  «.t  a 
town. 

\1  Jam  -  Allin  had  opened  his  Btore  al  his  new  location  in  1830,  and  made  a 
pin  :  land  where  the  city  of  Bloomington  now  stands      Bi  fore  the  law  organii 

MoL  in  C    mtj    ras   |  iss    i    Mr.  Allin  formed  his  plan-  t..  seoure  the  count] 
tl„,u_.i  .  just   how  much  mention  he  made  of  his  designs.     The  fam 

P  snow  came  in  the  winter  of  1830  and  1831,  and  was  the  means  of  preventing  the 
.lin_'  of  the  '  n  "ii  th(  I  Mondayof  1 


18 

days  thereafter ;  "  but  as  soon  as  possible,  as  they  say  in  their  report,  they  made  their 
selection  of  the  site  for  the  permanent  county  seat  of  McLean  County. 

A  location  was  shown  the  Commission  in  the  Orendorff  neighborhood.  At  this 
time,  in  fact  from  1823,  William  and  Thomas  Orendorff  were  the  most  substantial  set- 
tlers, or  very  nearly  so,  were  very  influential,  and  they  were  men  who  could,  no  doubt, 
have  secured  the  county  seat  near  them,  in  what  was  then  the  oldest  and  best  settled 
part  of  the  Grove,  had  they  made  the  attempt.  Mr.  William  Orendorff  remarked  that 
he  would  not  have  his  farm  cut  up  by  a  little  town,  and  made  no  effort,  though  impor- 
tuned by  some  of  his  neighbors.  Mr.  James  Allin  was  always  grateful  to  Mr.  Oren- 
dorff for  the  stand  he  took.  It  was  agreed  by  all  parties  that  the  name  of  the  new 
county  seat  should  be  Bloomington,  and  it  was  thus  named  in  the  act  incorporating 
McLean  County. 

Mrs.  William  Orendorfl,  a  lady  of  more  than  ordinary  talent,  better  educated  than 
the  majority  of  the  early  settlers,  and,  withal,  a  person  of  fine  personal  appearance,  ap- 
pears to  be  entitled  to  the  honor  of  changing  the  name  of  Keg  Grove  to  Blooming- 
Grove,  in  1824.  From  this,  the  transition  to  Bloomington  seemed  very  natural  and 
proper,  and  the  name  met  with  very  general  approval  all  over  the  county. 

The  county  seat  of  Monroe  County,  Ind.,  was  named  Bloomington  April  10, 1818, 
over  twelve  years  before  our  town  was  laid  out ;  so  we  cannot  claim  to  have  originated 
the  name.  There  are  now  no  less  than  thirteen  Bloomingtons  in  as  many  different 
States,  but  our  city  is  much  the  largest  and  most  important  of  all. 

A  post  office  was  established  here,  named  Blooming  Grove,  with  Rev.  William 
See,  Postmaster,  on  the  29th  of  January,  1829.  Mr.  See  was  the  Methodist  minister 
of  this  circuit  for  several  years.  He  lived  in  this  settlement  much  of  the  time  after 
1824,  though  in  1831,  at  the  time  of  the  location  of  Bloomington,  he  was  living  in 
.Randolph  Grove.  Mr.  See  improved  the  Price  farm  on  the  east  side  of  the  Grove,  and 
here  the  first  post  office  was  kept  for  a  little  over  one  year. 

During  the  years  between  1822  and  1831,  all  of  Blooming  Grove  was  either  bought 
or  "  claimed"  by  settlers,  and  it  was  occupied  by  a  class  of  hard-working,  intelligent 
farmers,  who  were  bent  on  clearing  their  land,  making  good  homes  for  their  families,  with 
little  thought  of  the  glorious  future  in  store  for  their  settlement.  Let  us  take  a  clear, 
unobstructed  view  of  the  condition  of  Blooming  Grove  Settlement  as  it  existed  in 
1830,  before  McLean  County  was  organized,  when  Bloomington  had  no  existence,  and 
in  so  doing  we  shall  prepare  our  way  for  a  better  understanding  of  what  followed.  We 
have  seen  that  the  whole  grove  was  occupied  at  the  date  we  have  selected.  We  find 
there  were  fifty  families  of  whom  we  have  learned  the  names,  and  it  is  likely  there  may 
have  been  a  few  others.  The  names  of  the  heads  of  families  are  John  Hendrix,  Rev. 
E.  Rhodes,  Jeremiah  Rhodes,  William  Orendorff,  Thomas  Orendorff,  Rev.  James  Latta, 
Henry  Little,  John  H.  S.  Rhodes*  William  Goodheart,  William  H.  Hodge,  William  Lind- 
ley,  Mrs.  Benjamin  Cox,  David  Simmons,  John  Benson,  James  Benson,  George 
Hinshaw,  Sr.,  William  Chatham,  Moses  Dunlap,  William  Waldron,  Anthony  Alberry, 
William  Thomas,  John  Canady,  James  Canady,  Oman  Olney,  Joseph  Walker,  Sr., 
William  Michaels,  John  Lindley,  Joseph  Bailey  Harbord,  Achilles  Deatherage,  William 
Walker,  Timothy  M.  Gates,  William  Lucas,  John  Cox,  Dr.  Isaac  Baker,  Maj.  Seth 
Baker,  H.  M.  Harbord,  Parr  Rathbone,  John  Mullen,  Michael  Allington,  Nathan  Low, 
John  Benson,  Jr.  and  Benjamin  Depew. 


I'.' 

01  single  youi  iving  in    Bloomin       •      i    in  1830  and  1831    ire  have  1 1 1 « - 

namei  of  David   C  i     \  u  m    Rhodes,  Samuel    Rl  ph    Walker,  Jr.,  Wilson 

l,u  rbomae  Solomon  Walker,  Hiram  Harbord    M   -     Baker,  Elliot)  Ba 

William  T  T    Benson   Jesa    B  nson,  William  Olney,  Sylvanus  Olney,  Franklin  G 
Timothj  <i:it'v  William  Canad     John  Walker,  Johnson  Lu<  .-   John  l»    Baker,  Jam 
James  K    <  Irendorfl 

It  i.-  possible  -  ime  of  the  above  maj  have  been  rather  young  to  !»■  called  men  at 
tli'-  time  in'li  while  it  La  likely  there  were  a  numb  r  of  young  men  living  in  the 

settlement  whose  names  are  not  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  list 

The  following  beads  of  families  were  living  within  what  are  now  the  city  limits  of 
Bloomington  before  the  town  was  laid  out,  in  1830,  while  it  is  probable  a  i'<-w  others — 
among  them  Pr.  Baker  and  Rev.  Mr.  Latta  Bhould  also  be  included  in  this  list ;  hut  we 
have  placed  them  in  the  list  of  those  living  in  the  Grove.  In  the  whole  settlement,  thi 
were  fifty  families  Henrj  Miller,  .Inn—  Tolliver,  James  Allin.  John  Greenman,  W'ill- 
i.nn  Evans,  John  Maxwell,  John  Cimler  and  James  Mason  lived  in  what  is  no*  th< 
city  <>f  Bloomington. 

i  M  young  men  then  living  in  what  is  now  the  oity  of  Bloomington,  we  find  Will- 
iam Dimsajtt,  William  Bvans,  Jr.,  Frank  ESvans,  William  Durley,  Merritl  L  Covell,  W. 
II    All.  ti.  William  Greeuman,  Esek  Greenman,  Samuel  Durley,  John  Durley  and  Sam 
u.  1  I 

A  few  of  the  latter  were  hardly  grown  men.     The  Guthries  were  not   living  here 

till  just  after  the  sale  of  lota,  in  1831,  after  which  time,  we  find  them  in   Ul ningt 

tlement,  though  living  at   fust  in  what  is  now  Major's   Grove      Adam   Guthrie  and 
his  brother  Robert  ES.  were  among  the  most  active  of  our  earl)  resident 

We  have  taken  a  great  deal  of  pains  to  ascertain  the  names  of  all  hr.nl-  of  fami- 
-  who  were  here  in  1830  and  1831,  before  the  sale  of  lots,  and  believe  we  have 
obtained  nearly  a  full  li-t.  <  >f  the  names  given  as  single  men  we  '1"  not  feel  quite  as  oertain, 
though  it  probably  includes  the  most  of  those  living  here  at  the  time.  We  have  men- 
tioned butfew  of  those  who  were  boys  at  that  day,  though  it  is  evident  there  were  a  Ian 
number  of  children  in  the  fifty  families  here  at  Blooming  Grove.  It  is  probable  that 
the  population  of  the  lent  on  the  4th  of  July,  1831,  was  between   two  bundi 

and  fifty  and  three  hundred  —  indicating  a  -  >li<l  basis  for  tin-  new  town  of  IN nington, 

which  was  about  to  Btarl  upon  it-  career  of  lame  and  prosperitj      I  '•  ■  I  bis  time,  main  of  the 
farmers  at  the  Gr  ■■■  were  in  quite  comfortable  circumstances,  and  their  growing  ability 

,ik1  luxuries  for  their  families  formed  a  much  better  basis  f'"r  the 
iblishment  of  a  town  than  was  dreamed  of  bj  the  most  of  the  pi rs  of  tl 

We   have  thus   sketched,   briefly,  the 'outline  of  the  early  history  of  Blooming 
and  have  1 1  i •  - .  1  to  make  it  perfectly  clear  that  it  was  a  thrifty,  well  I,  sub- 

otial  farmii  I,  "i'  itself  almost  sufficiently  important  t>>  found  and  build 

a  villa.  Qsiderable  futur    importance;  while   its  location  was  such  that  the  sur- 

roundin  Blooming   Grove,  as  a  natural  center       Taking 

thi-  F  the  d  for  the  locating   here  of  the  county 

the  new  county,  and  can  pro  m  this  point  with  the  bisl  B     mil 

marking  thai  Blooming    G  of  the  precinct,  afterward  towns! 

B  •  oraingt<  n,  I  of  historical  evi  nts  afti  c  the 

years  1830  and  1831 


20 

JAMES     U.I.IV 

While  we  cannot  pretend,  in  a  work  of  this  kind,  to  give  much  pereonal  hial 
we  will  mention  that  the  Bon.  James  Allin  was  born  . human  13,  1788,  in  North  Car- 
olina. After  several  emigrations,  he  found  himself,  in  1  > - 1 .  at  Vandalia,  then  the 
count  v  seat  of  Payette  County,  which  included  a  portion  of  the  territory  now  in 
McLean  County.  Mr.  Allin  was  one  of  those  far-seeing,  shrewd  business  men,  who 
plainly  saw  that  the  rapid  increase  of  population  in  the  new  Stat.-  of  Illinois  would 
result  in  the  formation  of  oew  counties  and  the  location  of  new  towns,  and  he  early 
conceived  the  idea  ol  being  interested  in  some  one  or  more  of  the  future  towns  or  oities 
of  Central  Illinois. 

In  November,  1829,  he  came  to  Blooming  Grove  with  a  Btock  of  g 1-  which  he 

commenced  selling  at  the  house  of  William  Walker,  near  Mr.  Orendorff's,  in  the  south  part 
of  the  Grove.  During  the  following  winter  and  spring,  he  was  forming  plans  for  future 
action.  He  learned  beforecoming  here  from  Vandalia  that  schemes  were  being  matured 
for  the  formation  of  a  new  county  from  the  eastern  part  of  Tazewell,  and  on  his  arrival, 
he  was  of  great  assistance  to  the  Orendorfls,  Mr.  W.  II.  Hodge,  Mr.  Janus  Latta  and 
others,  who  were  in  the  movement. 

Mr.  William  Lindley,  who  is  now  living  on  the  south  side  of  Blooming  Grove,  states 
that  early  in  1830  Mr.  Allin  offered  to  buy  his  claim,  which  covered  Mr.  Lindley's pres- 
ent farm,  stating  that  lie  wished  to  start  a  town.  Mr.  L.  told  him  his  land  was  too  flat 
and  wet  for  that  purpose,  but  if  he  would  come  with  him  to  the  north  side  of  the 
Grove,  he  would  -how  him  the  best  town  site  in  the  country.  Mr.  Allin  came,  and 
they  found  that  Mr.  William  Evans,  who  had  a  "claim"  on  160  acres,  wished  to  sell,  and 
a  bargain  was  soon  arranged.  This  Mr.  Evans  was  not  related  to  the  other  William  Evans 
who  built  the  first  house  in  Bloomington.  He  soon  moved  away  to  Missouri,  or  some- 
where else,  and  disappeared  from  our  history.  Mr.  Allin  built  a  house,  which  is  still 
standing  as  a  part  of  the  family  residence  of  Dr.  Stipp,  where  he  opened  a  store  in  one 
end  of  the  building  in  March,  1830;  and  during  this  year  he  went  forward  with  his 
plans  for  the  formation  of  the  county  and  the  location  of  the  county  seat.  David  Sim- 
mons eatne  here  in  November,  1830,  and  at  that  time  Mr.  Allin  told  him  there  would 
be  a  town  where  we  now  see  Bloomington.  The  Legislature  had  not  passed  the  aot  for 
the  incorporation  of  McLean  Count]  ;  bul  Mr.  Allin  was  confident  of  the  outcome  of 
the  plans  which  were  being  matured.  During  the  following  Bession  of  the  Legislature, 
Mr.  Thomas  Orendorff  and  Rev.  dame-  Latta  went  to  Vandalia  with  a  petition  for  a 
new  county.  Before  they  Btarted,  Mr.  Allin  rendered  them  valuable  assistance  by 
gestions  as  to  how  they  Bhould  operate  for  the  passage  of  the  bill  for  the  new  county. 
lb-  had  lived  several  years  at  the  capital,  and  understood  how  these  matters  were  man- 
:  in  legislative  halls.  When  the  act  passed,  it  named  three  men  to  locate  the  oounty 
Beat,  who  were  the  parties  Mr.  Allin  desired  ;  and  when  they  met  here  the]  approved 
of  the  Bite,  and  reported  in  favor  of  locating  the  county  Boat  "at  the  north  Bide  of 
the  Blooming  Grove." 

Mr  James  Allin  donated  twenty-two  and  one  half  acres  of  land,  to  be  divided  into 

ind  sold  for  the  benefit  of  McLean  County.  Of  course  he  owned  land  adjoining 
that  would  be  advanced  in  value,  and  he  also  intended  to  go  on  \\ith  his  -tore  and  gen- 
eral business.  In  advancing  hie  own  interests  he  also  benefited  the  public,  and  he  has 
always  justly  taken  rank  as  a  benefactor  of  die  community,  having  been  very  popular  to 


21 

the  day  of  his  death.  Mr.  Allin  was  a  far-seeing,  shrewd  business  man,  and  was,  in 
fact,  a  model  speculator.  He  selected  the  prettiest  location  for  a  town  that  could  possi- 
bly be  found  in  the  county.  Blooming  Grove  and  the  prairie  were  adjoining  each 
other;  his  donated  land,  or  the  "original  town,"  was  just  on  the  northern  edge  of  the 
gmve,  bounded  by  North,  East  and  West  streets,  with  Front  street  on  its  southern  bor- 
der. Three  streets,  Main,  Center  and  Madison,  ran  through  from  north  to  south  ; 
while  Front,  Washington  and  Jefferson  crossed  from  east  to  west.  Front  street  was 
mar  the  edge  of  the  timber,  a  few  noble  trees  of  which  are  standing  to-day  in  the  front 
yards  of  the  residences  owned  by  Dr.  Stipp,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Hanna,  Gen.  Gridley  and 
Absalom  Funk.  The  Court  House  scpuare  is  in  the  center  of  the  "original  town,"  as 
Mr.  Allin'a  donation  is  called.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  in  Dr.  Stipp's  front  yard, 
the  place  where  trade  was  first  carried  on  in  Bloomington,  where  our  early  pioneers 
must  have  often  tied  their  horses  to  young  trees  which  are  now  of  moderate  size,  may 
still  be  seen  the  nearest  approach  to  our  virgin  forest  of  any  to  be  found  near  the  heart 
of  the  city,  and  that  here  the  natural  sod  or  turf  has  never  been  disturbed  by  the  march 
of  improvement,  as  is  proved  by  the  annual  blooming  of  the  little  "  Spring  Beauty," 
which  is  found  nowhere  else  in  the  vicinity  except  in  Gen.  Gridley's  grounds. 

With  the  noble  trees  of  Blooming  Grove  in  its  rear,  and  the  rolling  prairie  in  the 
front  on  the  north,  the  "  original  town  "  was  a  remarkable  tract  of  land.  From  the 
square,  the  natural  surface  fell  off  in  every  direction,  giving  the  best  of  drainage,  while 
for  <juite  a  distance  outside  of  the  town  the  ground  still  continued  to  slope  nicely,  form- 
ing the  best  natural  grades  that  could  possibly  be  desired. 

Mr.  Allin  had  noticed  that  the  roads  of  that  day,  which  were  many  of  them  on  the 
lines  of  the  old  Indian  trails — the  most  natural  modes  of  communication  to  be  found  in 
a  new  country — all  centered  at  Bloomington.  He  remarked  that  the  route  from  Chicago 
to  St.  Louis,  here  crossed  the  road  from  Columbus,  Ohio,  to  Iowa  and  the  West.  Prob- 
ably, he  was  thinking  of  the  day  when  railroads  would  traverse  these  lines,  and  Bloom- 
ington be  the  railroad  center  it  has  since  become  through  efforts  inaugurated  partly  by 
Mr.  Allin  himself  within  two  or  three  years  of  the  founding  of  the  new  town.  Inas- 
much as  railroads  were  at  that  date  pushing  on  through  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland, 
and  the  people  already  began  to  talk  of  turning  the  great  national  road,  then  building 
through  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois,  into  a  railroad  to  be  built  and  owned  by  the  Govern- 
ment, it  is  highly  probable,  indeed  almost  certain,  that  Mr.  Allin  had  formed  plans  for 
railroad  lines  that  should  have  their  crossings,  if  not  their  termini,  here.  We  find  that 
during  the  Internal  Improvement  craze  in  1836,  only  five  years  after  the  location  of 
Bloomington,  railroads  were  projected  from  Chicago  to  Alton,  from  Cairo  to  Galena, 
which  have  since  been  constructed  and  passed  through  here;  while  there  was  still  another 
projected  road  to  run  from  Bloomington  to  Pekin ;  and,  as  Mr.  Allin  was  one  of  the 
best  thinkers  of  this  part  of  the  country,  he  may  have  thought  of  these  lines  when  he 
first  conceived  of  the  location  of  the  county  seat  at  the  north  side  of  Blooming  Grove. 

In  all  the  vicissitudes  through  which  the  new  town  passed,  Mr.  Allin  never  lost 
his  faith  in  Bloomington.  He  seemed  aware  of  the  possibilities  of  the  town,  and  was 
buoyed  by  an  undoubting  faith  in  its  future  destiny.  He  was  assisted  by  such  men  as 
Messrs.  Gridley,  Fell  and  Davis,  men  of  deep,  broad  views,  who  arc  entitled  to  rank 
with  the  foremost  thinkers  of  the  West — who  are  referred  to  as  men  of  the  greatest 
foresight ;  but  of  these  men,  he  was,  at  least,  the   peer,   their  equal  in  enterprise  and 


22 

activity,  and  their  superior  in  faith  and  hope.  In  the  mind  of  Mr.  James  Allin,. 
Bloomington  was  to  grow  into  one  of  the  prettiest  and  most  thriving  cities  of  the  State  ; 
and  no  temporary  discouragement  could  shake  his  belief  in  its  glorious  future. 

To  show  that  Mr.  Allin's  early  efforts  have  been  appreciated  by  those  who  have 
reaped  some  of  the  rewards  of  his  labors,  we  will  refer  to  June  30,  1854,  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  Pike  House.  This  hotel  was  then  thought  to  be  a  most  magnificent  struct- 
ure, and  which,  built  of  wood,  on  the  exact  site  of  the  present  Phoenix  Hotel,  costing 
$25,000,  was  really  a  creditable  institution.  There  was  a  gathering  of  our  leading  cit- 
izens on  this  occasion,  when  Mr.  James  Allin  gave  this  toast :  "  My  favorite  daughter 
— Bloomington — a  puny  child  and  the  object  of  intense  parental  solicitude,  now  spring- 
ing up  into  a  blooming  and  vigorous  womanhood ;  the  idol  of  her  father  and  the  belle 
of  the  commonwealth." 

In  response  to  this,  Mr.  William  Wallace  gave.  "  The  venerable  founder  of  Bloom- 
ington— James  Allin — a  man  never  appalled  by  difficulty,  and  who  never  lost  sight  of 
the  splendid  future  of  our  flourishing  city  in  the  dark  hour  of  her  trial."  We  are 
thus  enabled  to  perceive  that  Mr.  Allin  was  appreciated  fully  by  those  who  lived  and 
labored  with  him  in  the  great  work  of  founding  and  building  the  city. 

He  left  no  scheme  untried  that  promised  to  benefit  Bloomington,  and  in  most  of 
his  projects  he  received  the  active  and  efficient  aid  of  A.  Gridley,  Jesse  W.  Fell,  J. 
E.  McClun,  M.  L.  Covell,  David  Davis,  and  others,  who  soon  became  citizens  of 
Bloomington.  There  was  built  up  a  public  spirit — a  sort  of  buoyant  hopefulness  and 
cheerfulness — that  is  characteristic  of  Bloomington,  and  a  willingness  to  work  for  one 
common  object,  that  has  been  the  means  of  securing  our  city  many  very  important 
advantages,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  the  railroad-shops,  five  railroads,  and  the 
Normal  and  Soldiers'  Home  in  our  sister-town  of  Normal,  all  of  which  were  the  direct 
outgrowth  of  the  far-sighted,  harmonious  working  of  our  leading  prominent  citizens  of 
the  past  and  present.  Long  may  their  successors  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  their  illus- 
trious predecessors,  ever  showing  a  vigorous  harmony  in  laboring  for  the  public  good. 
Mr.  Allin's  efforts  ceased  not  until  late  in  life  when  he  gently  passed  over  the  dark  river 
May  5, 1869.  He  attended  an  Old  Settlers'  meeting  in  1866,  at  which  time  the  Bloom- 
ington Pantagraph,  then  edited  by  the  author  of  this  sketch,  spoke  of  him  as  follows  : 

"  Mr.  Allin's  health  is  poor,  and  he  has  never  recovered  from  a  fall  on  the  ice 
which  severely  injured  him  about  four  years  ago.  He  walks  on  crutches,  and  was 
assisted  up-stairs  by  two  men.  He  was  complimented  by  the  speakers  as  the  man 
whose  superior  foresight  pointed  out  Bloomington  as  the  site  of  a  future  city  when  all 
around  was  an  uncultivated  wilderness.  According  to  what  Gov.  Moore  and  Mr.  Grid- 
ley  said,  Mr.  Allin  in  his  younger  days  was  very  much  such  a  man  as  we  occasionally 
hear  of  now  in  frontier  places.  He  used  every  honorable  endeavor  to  induce  emigrants 
to  locate  in  this  county.  If  they  wished  to  settle  in  the  new  town,  Mr.  Allen  would 
sell  them  lots  at  a  low  price  if  they  had  money,  and  would  sell  them  at  a  lower  figure 
if  they  had  a  little  money,  or  would  give  lots  outright  if  they  had  no  money,  always 
stipulating  that  improvements  should  be  made. 

"  It  was  such  unremitting  care  and  exertions,  which,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years 
gave  this  settlement  a  start  that  made  it  out  of  the  question  for  any  neighboring  town 
to  compete  with  it,  and  made  it  eventually  a  point  to  be  aimed  at  by  railroads  which 
have  now  made  Bloomington  one  of  the  thriftiest  and  best  business  places  in  the  State. 


I  •    inii-t    I  Ml      \llin    tO   '  in  in v    old   Pri< ' 

not  one  of  wlioin  bean  the  slightest  grud  nsi  him,  and  t->  liateo  to  racb 

in.  tit  and  -i|  pi  life-long  public  spiril      With  .ill  hi-  opportuni- 

-  for  bnildiog  ap  ■<■  large  fortui      Mi     \   in'a  finable  lands  slipped  from  hi-  hold  in 
on<  ner,  to  parties  who  oould  not  or  would  i  mnoh   for  theii 

until,  when  propei  t"  be  really  valuable,  he  had  little  1  *  - 1  >  t"  sell.     He,  ho* 

miri  I  i     mo  Portable  competency,  so  thai  hi-  old  age  ia  pleasantly  passing  in  the  mi 
ofa  community  li  toh  pride  in  drawing  together.     A  m  uping   man  would 

h.i\.  so  hi  lil  i-  d  to  sell  pi  i  have  been  dri  ly     and  :i  less 

honorable  man,  if  U<-  had  made  more  money,  would  have  had  fewer  friends  in  his 
Bloomington  owes  .1  debt  to  Mr.   Ulin  winch  it  can  never  re] 

u  \ll-    A.N  l>    Ki  HI  IBS    OF    W  LBS 

Tli.-  pi(  if  Blooming   G      •    could  muster  about  fifteen  able-bodied  men  is 

rly  aa  1826,  and  formed  the  nucleus  of  a  military  company,  ever  ready  for  sen 
dnst  the  Indians,  m<l  for  mutual  protection  if  needed.     The  [ndians  were  friendly, 
but  scarcely  trusted,  hence  wisdom  and  prudence  required  constant  watchfulness      The 
danger  arose  from  the  fact  that  the  Winnebago  [ndians,  in  the  northern  part  of  lllin 

ti'l  hostile,  and  might  at  any  time  embroil  the  friendly  Kick  rod 

Delawa  I    ■  it r:il  Illinois.     In   1827  occurred  what  is  called  tl><i  Winnebago  v< 

when  the  company  at   Blooming  Grove,  under  Capt.  J.  II    8.  Rhodes,  can at,  with 

other  troops  that  responded  to  the  call  of  Gov.  Reynolds,  and,  to  th,>  number  of  fifteen, 

ntasfai   iP«    ria;  but  the  difficulty  was  adjusted  without  their  aid     The  Blaolc  Hawk 

wir  and  it-  many  incidents  will  be  treated  more  :it  length  in  other  j>< -rt i . »n -  ••f  this 

rk. 

During  the  years  L844,  1845  and  1846,  t ho  people  of  [llinois  were 
enraged  by  the  actions  of  the  Mormons,  who,  to  the  number  of  15,000,  occupied 
\  invoo,  making  that  the  largest  city  in  the  State,  controlled  it  by  their 
and,  for  <|tiit.-  a  ].>ri' "i.  kept  the  whole  •  ■  C  >unty  under  the  power  of  their 
ament  The  Governor  twice  call  i  quell  the  disturbances,  and, 
one  time,  the  Mormons  displayed  such  po  that  the  residents  of 
Bloomington  began  to  make  plans  for  volunteering  to  assist  th<    -  but,  fortunately, 

do  call  for  many  troops  from  this  Bide  of  the  Dlinois  River. 
But  when  President  Polk,  in  May,  1846,  issued  a  proclamation  calling  for  volun- 
rs  for  the  Mexican  war.  which  was  then  raging,  fixing  the  quota  of  Qlin  ur 

giments,  the  patriotism  and  warlike  spirit  of  Bloomington  were  at  onoe  arousi  1  \  ol- 
anteen  fi - .« -k. t -r I  here  from  ill  quarters,  and,  with  those  who  enlisted  from  this  village,  '""k 
a  prominent  part  in  the  events  of  thi  Mi  tican  war  Their  exploits  will  be  found  gi 
more  at  length  in  the  history  of  M  !■  in  County,  whei  B  lomington'a  share  will 
included  in  the  county's  record  The  war  for  the  Doion  will  be  mentioned  bat 
briefly  in  this  work,  it  being  more  recent   than  the  events  this  I k  was  intended  to 

in n  raoitTim  -u:\ 

\\'.   I  tiers  of  Blooming  Grove  found  Kiokapoo  Indians 

here,  who,  under  their  chief,  Ma  shoe  na,  were  always  friendly  t"  the  whites      Though 
at  fir- 1  th  tome  threatening  language,  rhoj  □  mmitted  an)  disturban 


24 

As  late  as  1831,  these  Indians  had  mostly  left,  though  they  appeared  occasionally , 
traversing  the  country  in  all  directions.  One  family  seems  to  have  been  living  in 
Bloomington  after  the  location  of  the  county  seat. 

McLean  was  a  frontier  county  up  to  1840,  as  the  settlement  of  the  State  was  pro- 
gressing from  the  south  toward  the  north,  where  the  Winnebago  Indians  and  others 
were  less  friendly  than  those  in  this  region.  The  streams  flowing  to  the  Illinois  in  what 
is  now  Woodford  and  Marshall  County,  had  a  few  settlers,  while  portions  of  Livingston, 
included  in  McLean  till  1837,  were  beginning  to  have  a  few  pioneers  along  the  groves 
and  bodies  of  timber  skirting  the  Vermilion  River,  Rook's  Creek  and  other  streams. 
Not  a  single  settler  was  ever  killed  by  Indians  in  McLean  County,  so  far  as  we  have 
been  able  to  learn,  a  fact  that  is  quite  remarkable  when  we  consider  the  ordinary  fatality 
of  the  frontier  settlements  through  the  United  States. 

But  while  our  settlers  were  thus  fortunate,  they  did  not  pass  unheeded  the  calls 
from  others  less  happily  situated.  When  the  Black  Hawk  war  broke  out  in  1832, 
Bloomington  and  the  surrounding  country  sent  a  whole  company  of  volunteers,  under 
command  of  Capt.  Merritt  L.  Covell.  A.  Gridley  was  First  Lieutenant,  M.  Baldwin, 
Second  Lieutenant,  and  there  were  in  all  fifty-six  men.  Each  man  furnished  his  own 
horse',  gun,  clothing  and  accouterments.  These  troops  took  part  in  what  was  known  as 
Stillman's  defeat,  above  Dixon,  in  what  is  at  present  Ogle  County.  But  one  man  was 
killed  from  this  company — Joseph  Draper.  A  full  report  of  all  that  happened  on  this 
expedition  is  published  elsewhere  in  this  work,  aud  we  will  be  content  with  a  statement 
of  facts  in  relation  to  the  Indian  troubles  which  have  not  been  before  presented  to  the 
public,  but  which  have  been  gathered  recently  from  survivors,  and  are  here  given  for 
the  first  time. 

When  the  troops  from  Tazewell  and  McLean  Counties  had  returned  to  Ottawa  and 
were  there  building  a  fort  for  the  protection  of  the  settlers,  supplies  arrived  from  Pekin 
and  points  on  the  Illinois  River.  Word  was  received  that  the  people  at  Bloomington 
were  talking  of  building  a  fort,  and  that  there  was  general  alarm  along  the  Mackinaw 
and  through  the  whole  region  from  which  the  troops  had  enlisted.  It  was  thought  that 
the  Kickapoos  might  have  been  tampered  with  by  emissaries  from  Black  Hawk,  whose 
great  success  on  the  Rock  River  had,  of  course,  emboldened  him  greatly.  And  no 
wonder  that  our  volunteers  were  excited.  They  had  left  home,  a  short  time  before, 
fully  persuaded  that  their  own  wives  and  little  ones  were  sate ;  and  now  to  learn  that 
there  was  danger  in  their  rear,  they  were  tremendously  agitated.  All  the  best  horses 
and  guns  of  the  settlements,  with  the  most  resolute  warriors,  were  thus  absent  from  the 
point  of  danger,  and  the  case  looked  desperate.  Rumor,  perhaps,  slightly  exaggerated 
the  trouble;  but,  even  at  this  time,  with  a  full  knowledge  of  the  actual  risk  from  the 
treacherous  Indian  nature,  it  looks  as  if  these  men  had  the  best  of  reasons  for  their 
actions.  Thirteen  of  them,  headed  by  David  Simmons,  who  is  now  living  in  Blooming- 
ton, determined  to  return  home  and  guard  the  settlers,  although  their  time  of  enlist- 
ment had  not  expired,  and  they  ran  the  risk  of  being  called  deserters.  Besides  Mr. 
Simmons,  we  have  the  names  of  Bailey  Coflee,  Clem.  Oatman,  Isaac  Murphy  and  James 
K.  Orendorff.  On  the  second  day  after  their  start  from  Ottawa,  they  arrived  at  Bloom- 
ington, where  they  were  met  by  the  whole  population  and  received  with  a  perfect  ovation 
of  gratitude  and  thankfulness.  Those  men  afterward  all  received  honorable  discharges, 
their  action  having  been  considered  right  and  proper,  even  if  a  little  unmilitary.     In  a 


1,  w  days,  tli-    balance  <■!'  the  company  returned   from  Ottawa,  and,  in  th<    mean  lis 
authority  bad  been  given  t'"r  raisii  impanj  ofra  d  the  frontiers  of 

\\   |.   m  County  for  sixty  tl  \  fort  wasbuill  Dear  thi  nd  of  Mackinaw  Timb 

.it   Mi    Henlim  i,  where  the  settlers  living  in  what   i-  now  Lawndale,   Lexington  and 
M   :       Ci  ■    in  the  habit  of  aaeembling  foi  The  company  of  rangers  made 

tlii-  fori  their  headquarters, and  patrolled  the  region  north,  Indian  G  R  I       k, 

\    rmilion  Timber,  and  aU  places  where  the  inhabitants  were  nnprotected      Capl   John 
II    S    Elh    i  •  u  i-  the  commander,  though  Capt.  Covell  is  given  bj  some  authoril 
the  chief  officei       \      inteers  also  turned  out  who  were  not  attached  to  the  oompao 
and  Capl   Covell,  fresh   from   [ndian  warfare,  may  have  taken  bis  turn  at  this  service 
without  having  been  mustered.     A  -hurt  time  after  this,  ■  whole  battali  m  id<   ap 

in  thi-  region   for  military  drill,  and  of  this  regiment  Capt.  Covell  was  made  Colonel, 
and  he  was  after  that  made  a  Qeneral  of  militia.     Owen  Chenej  waa  i    Major  in  this 

■!t.  and  A    Qridley,  Adjutant     Gridley  was,  at   a   later  day,  chosen    Brigadier 
era]  of  militia,  and  his  title  baa  properly  followed  him  to  this  d 

c pany  of  rangers  did  _  rvice  in  guarding  the  frontier  from  Ottan 

the  Mackinaw,  though  even  at   the  time,  opinions  of  the  best  informed  were  divided 
tu  tli.-  real  danger  to  be  apprehended  from  the  Indian-.   Probably,  in  this  case,  the  thorough 
preparations  mad.    by  oui  energetic  frontier  soldiers  prevented  a  general  mac  ind 

thus  advanced  the  public  inti  nd  k.j.t  the  settlements  from  suffering  and  dista  -- 

Even  as  it  was,  quite  a  large  number  abandoned  th.  ir  homes,  preferring  to  I"-  "ti  I 

le  of  a  doubtful  question,  some  of  whom  never  returned  to  the  county.     Thi 
were  about  fifty  men  in  this  company .  mosl  of  whom  were  raised  in  Bloomington,  Stout  - 
<  rrove,  ami  (  Hd  Town  Timber. 

Bj  the  latter  end  of  summer,  all  danger  of  Indian  troubles  had  vanished    is  Black 
Hawk  was  captured,  hi-  hand-  broken  up,  and  peao  ir  frontier — never  t" 

disturbed  by  hostili   [ndians,  though  of  wars  and  rumors  of  wars  our  pen  must  again 
make  mention. 

BLOOHINQTON    IN     1831. 

Bloomington  has  the  name  <>l  being  the  best  built  city  in   Lllinois,  and  it  boai 
cultivated,  as  agreeable  and  as  brilliant  as  any  in  the  W  est      In  the  matter  of 
buildings — business  blocks,  especially — it  is  undeniably  the  superior  of  anything  in  the 

te outside  of  Chicago;  but  as  to  it-  soda]  oharms  the  question  may  not  be  so  suscep- 
tible of  demonstration.     We  who  live  hi  our  claim-,  leaving  oth 
(..  settle  tln-ir  accuracj       We  are  content  to  reside  in  Bloomington,  resting  well  satisfied 
with  our  surroundings,  which,  we  ma)  remark,  are  such  as  foster  the  social  ideaswe  1  i 
mentioned.     We  oan  Bee  that  there  are  sound  philosophical  reasons  for  our  boasts  in  the 
matter                                We  know  that  it  i-  reasonable  to  indulge  these  feelings,  when 

consider  that  Bloomington,  for  fifty  years  has  absorbed  from  thi    E 

the  North  and  the  South.     We  can  see  here  representatives  of  the  best  societ 
least  f  liffereni   -  titivated  sons  ami  daughters  of  a  d  I 

n ,  i  tli.ir  homes   here,  bringing  with   them  manners  and  cus- 

ton  rious  as  their  differing  nationalities      Hon    natural  that  there  should  grow 

up  ■  a  ii  culled  from   the  best  of  the  different   standards?     How 

form  thus  a  model  for  futun  Hen    w<    find  the  oourtlj  Southerner     the 

I  oei    and   the  thrift \    \ ■  \    \    ik.i    meeting  in  oue  Bocial  family,  and  the 


26 

result  would  naturally  be  what  we  claim — a  new  society  mor<?  pleasant  than  either,  with 
the  best  social  ethics  of  all,  mingled  in  one  common  fountain  from  which  flow  the  ele- 
ments of  the  best  society  in  the  land.  Fifty  years  of  this  mingling  process  may  be  too 
short  to  perfectly  illustrate  its  capabilities ;  but  in  the  course  of  time  there  can  be  no 
doubt  Bloomington  will  be  able  to  exhibit  its  best  effects.  Our  "  best  society  "  is  even 
now  undergoing  the  transformation  which  is  to  make  it  in  the  future  one  of  the  most 
enjoyable  communities  in  the  land.  Our  space  is  altogether  too  limited  to  illustrate 
further  what  we  have  hinted  at ;  but  the  careful  reader  will  perceive  before  we  are  through 
that  we  indicate  a  great  variety  of  sources  from  which  may  proceed  this  cosmopolitan 
good  society  to  which  we  have  made  reference. 

On  the  4th  day  of  July  of  1831,  there  was  at  Bloomington  an  auction  sale  of  the 
town  lots  which  had  been  donated  to  the  county,  when  William  Orendorff  acted  as  auc- 
tioneer. This  sale  was  quite  satisfactory,  and  from  its  proceeds  the  first  county  build-  ■ 
ings  were  erected.  We  will  assume  that  Bloomington's  baptism  occurred  at  that  date. 
On  the  4th  day  of  July,  1881,  we  shall  call  Bloomington  just  fifty  years  old,  and  we 
hereby  make  a  motion  in  favor  of  holding  a  grand  celebration^on  that  fiftieth  anniver- 
sary. How  the  assembled  multitude,  July  4,  1831,  would  have  stared  could  they  have 
seen  at  that  early  day,  what  we  gaze  at  daily  unmoved — the  elegant  Court  House  that 
now  graces  the  public  square  ?  Suppose  Mr.  Allin  had  been  able  on  that  occasion  to 
visit  our  Court  House  dome  and  view  its  present  surroundings,  what  a  sight  would  meet 
his  wondering  eyes?  Or,  suppose  one  of  us  could  then  have  stood  where  we  should 
obtain  a  full  view  of  the  sights  that  were  visible,  what  surprise  and  delight  we  should 
manifest?  We  should  have  seen,  as  before  stated,  the  beautiful  town  site,  smooth  and 
free  from  buildings,  as  staked  off  by  Dr.  Baker,  into  lots,  blocks  and  streets,  covered 
with  waving  grass  and  dotted  with  beautiful  prairie  flowers  of  many  hues,  all  in  the  full 
beauty  of  the  early  summer.  To  the  south,  in  front,  would  be  the  bright,  green  wall  of 
tall  waving  trees — Blooming  Grove — the  finest  piece  of  timber  in  Central  Illinois, 
slightly  marred  and  cut  by  the  axes  of  the  first  settlers — Evans,  Allin,  Dimmitt,  Tolli- 
ver  and  Maxwell — whose  cabins  could  some  of  them  be  seen  from  the  town  site ;  while 
Mr.  Allin's  store  and  residence  combined,  which  still  stands  as  a  part  of  the  dwelling  of 
Dr.  Stipp,  would  be  the  most  prominent  object  in  the  foreground.  We  should  hear  the 
bystanders  all  talking  of  the  new  county  of  McLean — of  its  new  county  seat — and 
wondering  what  the  future  might  have  in  store  for  their  adopted  homes — or,  possibly 
remarking  upon  the  influx  of  emigrants  that  were  stopping  in  their  rich  and  promising 
district.  We  learn  that  emigration  was  pouring  into  McLean  with  the  most  wonderful 
rapidity,  and  that  this  stream  increased  until  the  year  183fi.  From  all  we  can  now 
ascertain,  it  appears  that  in  1831  the  population  of  McLean  must  have  been  nearly  two 
thousand.  At  the  election  the  previous  year,  385  votes  were  polled  in  its  territory,  and 
in  1835,  the  county  contained  5,000  people.  A  short  time  after  the  sale  of  lots  in 
1831,  there  were  about  one  dozen  families  residing  within  the  present  city  limits  of 
Bloomington,  which,  added  to  those  we  have  before  mentioned  as  being  established  in 
the  township  of  Bloomington — but  living  in  Blooming  Grove — made  a  population  of 
perhaps  three  hundred  persons. 

Those  who  were  living  in  the  present  city  limits  of  Bloomington  during  the  year 
1831  are  the  following:  Rev.  James  Latta,  Dr.  David  Wheeler,  Dr.  Isaac  Baker, 
William   Evans,  Henry    Miller,  David  Trimmer,  Solomon  Dodge,  James  Allin,  John 


27 


Kimli  i   M     G       iin. in.  J  J  ihn  Maxwell,  aod  id  the  fall,  Benjamin  Hain 

.ill  heads  of  families,  and   there   m.i\  hav<    been  i  I   tile 

M    i  M  W<  Bhonld  also  inolude  the  famil  ee  of  A.  L)  nd  R 

ithrie,  living  there.     In  addition,  of  single  men,  ther  '■'•  i  McKu         Will- 

iani    Dimmitt,  William    Evans,  Ji  ,  Samuel,  William  and  John   Durley,    \    C    Wash- 
burne,   \   Gridley  ml   ^ I « ■  r r i 1 1  L.  Covel.     This  indicafc  pnlation  of  aboul  eighty 

within  the  present  city  limit*  during  the  first  year  of  the  t  the   new  town. 

and  we  find  it  well  its  forward 

I     •..  >'•  Bret     -  ".  by  whal  is  now  well  known  of  the  character  of  the 

v  pioneers,  Bloomington  was  fortunate  enough  t"   | 
There  wer<  >f  the  temporary  "floating,'     'moving,"  in  ble  emigrants 

d  found  in  new  towns      M  irly  every  one  who  arrived  cam 
tlt.it  -|  II  for  the  young  village      B      oingl   ;   I       continued  an  attractive   pla 

LDgers  down  to  the  present  time,  and  is  well  Bpoken  "t'  all   over  thi    3l  N 

doubt  the  oityowes  much  of  its  past  and  present  prosperity  to  the  fact  of  always  having 

•  1   reputation,  an  illustration   showing  that  a  g I   name  is  better  th 

riches.     In  the  year  1831,  verj   little  could  be  said  of  the  business  of  Bloomington 

Thi  lining  here,  1  i 1 1 1 « -  more.     The  new  county  of  McLean  had  bi  in- 

i.  its  machinery  Bet  in  motion  ;  the  town  of  Bloomington  had  been  platted,  lots  Bold, 

few  houses  built,  ind  Beveral   families  established ;  but  there  was  little  that  could  be 

called  ;i  town.     The  future  contained  great   possibilities  for  the  new  place,  even  if  the 

1  the  realization  of  but  very  little. 

<  >f  the  early  settlers,  we  will  mention  a  few,  though  w<  that  our  -pare  will 

not  permit  notice  of  others  equally  worthy.     Mr.  William  Evans  came  to  thi>  county 
in  1825,  and  settled  southeast  of  Bloomington.    The  great  hurricane  of  June  27,  Ifi 
broke  down  his  timber  and  appeared  to  have  ruined  his  corn  crop.     Mr.  William  Oren- 

him  ti  -  of  young  corn,  which,  with  the  unexpected  g 1  yield  of  his 

i.  made  Mr   Evans  a   fair  crop,  and  enabled   him   to   harvest    100  bushel  rn, 

tin-  wli.it  he  had  agreed  to  give  Cheney  Thomas  for  his  ••'■hum      to  a  trad  of 

land  where  the  city  of  Bloomington  is  now  built.     In   1828,  Mi  built  his  l"_r 

cabin,  on  a  piece  of  ground  between  Grove  and  Olive  streets  the  present  residence 

of  J    8    Rouah.     II"  afterward  built  I  house  at   the  same  location,  and   here  he 

•it  hu  days  in  peace  and  happiness,  made  wealthy  by  the  advance  in  the  value  of  bis 

do      II"  died   in    1868,  at  tl  ii   ninety-two  j  M      E  i  a  man  of 

1  habit  '  tli"  best  men  of  the  good  old  times.     He  was  the  first  settler  in  1 1 1 .  - 

territory  now  known  as  the  city  of  B     mington. 

Mr   William  Dimmitt   owned  a  tract   adjoining    Mi    Evans,  and   was  one  of  the 

pioneers  of  Bloomington      Though  several  houses  were   built  before  his  improvements 

re  madi  oame  one  of  the  best  known  of  our  old  residents,  I  rering 

lit'  •   one  place.     His    1   ith  i-  eerj  recent,  and  we  will  quote   from  1 1 1 . - 

January  21,  1  -7:'.  an  article  in  regard  t"  thi*  piont  i 

Mr  William  Dimmitt,  one  of  the  pi  f  Blooming  0  tied  at  the  north 

in  1827,  "ii  thi  land  where  he  died,  February  19,  1879,  having 

made  hi*  home  here  foui  the  town  of  Bloomingt*  iblished      II" 

was  born  in  Virginia,  and  moved,  when  a  boy,  to  Alleghany  Co     Maryland,  in   17 

His  father  i_rli-h   hi*   mother  American  born,     In  1825,  Mi    Dimmiti    removed 


28 

to  Illinois;  remained  the  first  summer  at  Danville,  and  came  to  McLean  County  in 
1826.  He  made  a  claim  at  the  west  end  of  Old  Town  Timber,  in  1826  ;  but  when 
the  hurricane  of  June  27,  1827,  leveled  the  best  part  of  his  trees  to  the  ground,  he 
became  discouraged,  abandoned  the  place,  and  made  arrangements  to  move  to  another 
location.  Mr.  William  Evans  had  purchased  (of  Cheney  Thomas,  according  to  some 
accounts)  a  claim  where  the  city  of  Bloomington  stands,  including,  in  part,  what  is  now 
the  territory  running  from  the  cemetery  north  as  far  as  Dr.  Wakefield's.  Mr.  Dimmitt 
bought  a  claim  in  1828,  next  adjoining  this  on  the  east,  being,  in  part,  land  lying 
between  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  and  Mr.  Evans'.  He  became  a  farmer,  though, 
as  he  was  not  married  until  1833,  he  had  no  house  on  his  land  for  some  years.  Dur- 
ing the  first  few  years  he  worked,  as  did  the  pioneers,  at  whatever  was  to  be  done,  but 
could  make  little  headway  until  the  year  1829,  when  he  went  to  the  lead-mines  at  Elizabeth, 
Jo  Daviess  Co.,  111.,  where  he  was  remarkably  fortunate,  and  returned  with  $600 — a 
large  sum  of  money  for  those  times.  The  lead-mines,  then,  were  to  an  early  settler 
what  California  has  been  in  later  days.  It  was  where  Isaac  Funk  sold  the  cattle  of  this 
region,  and  where  he  and  others  took  droves  of  hogs  for  the  miners.  With  this  sum  of 
money  Mr.  Dimmitt  was  able  to  pay  for  his  farm — 130  acres — and  he  was  at  once  in 
good  circumstances.  His  land  became  quite  valuable,  as  soon  as  the  county  seat  was 
located  at  Bloomington,  a  few  months  after  the  Deep  Snow  of  1831,  but  he  never  was  in 
any  hurry  to  accept  of  the  offers  of  that  early  time.  In  1848,  he  made  an  addition  tu 
the  city,  followed  by  others,  until,  in  all,  he  has  made  six  additions.  He  always  kept 
track  of  the  advance  in  the  value  of  real  estate,  rarely  selling  before  it  was  prudent  or 
wise,  and  has  been  considered  one  of  our  wealthy  citizens.  His  homestead  has  never 
been  sold  or  transferred  since  it  was  patented  to  Mr.  Dimmitt  by  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment, and  it  is  the  only  tract  in  Bloomington  of  which  this  can  be  said.  Mr.  Dim- 
mitt went  with  the  Bloomington  volunteers  to  the  Black  Hawk  war  in  1832,  and  on 
the  expiration  of  the  thirty-days  service,  the  last  of  which  was  performed  at  Ottawa, 
in  building  a  log  fort  for  the  protection  of  the  settlers,  he  came  home  to  Bloomington. 
He  enlisted  in  the  company  raised  immediately  after  his  return  for  frontier  service  in 
McLean  County,  served  the  sixty  days  of  its  enlistment,  going  to  Vermilion  River,  in 
what  is  now  Livingston  County,  to  Rook's  Creek  and  Indian  Grove,  it  being  then  all  a 
part  of  McLean,  and  spent  a  good  deal  of  time  near  the  east  end  of  Mackinaw  timber, 
where,  at  Mr.  Henline's,  there  was  a  rough  fort  for  the  safety  of  the  pioneers  in  that 
neighborhood. 

"  Bloomington's  oldest  pioneer  has  thus  passed  away,  and  his  mantle  has  fallen  upon 
the  one  that  next  arrived  in  our  corporation,  though  we  are  just  now  unable  to  state  who  it 
may  be.  Mr.  Dimmitt  has  enjoyed  that  distinction  since  the  death  of  Mr.  Evans,  sev- 
eral years  ago.  He  was  always  a  good  citizen,  quiet  in  his  manner,  never  ostentatious, 
and  has  acted  well  his  part  in  life. 

"  He  married  Mary  Ervine  forty-six  years  ago;  and  together  with  his  wife,  saw  as 
much  of  real  pioneer  life  as  any  of  our  early  settlers.  During  the  whole  of  this  long 
and  eventful  life,  death  has  not  once  entered  his  family,  as  all  the  children  are  now  living 
still  in  this  or  neighboring  States.  He  leaves  a  widow  and  a  large  circle  of  children, 
grandchildren,  connections  and  friends  to  mourn  his  loss.*' 

W.  H.  Hodge  was  the  first  school-teacher  in  the  village,  living  at  the  time  two 
miles  south,  on  his  farm.     The  schoolhouse  stood  near  the  crossing  of  Main  and  Olive 


\1 .    II  it  active  citiien,  havin  r.il  of  the  most  important 

*  in  this  and  Tazewell  County  at  different  times      An        I     Washburne  arrived 

in  1831,  and  opened  a  school   here  in   I1  of  that  year,  in  a  I m 1 1« I i :  the 

■    M  iin  uni  1 1  M      W  one  of  the  mo 

Christians  of  the  pi  I '  the  firel  •  lie  McL 

:■  •  i.-t \- .  in  1834,  and  always  an  ean  in  the  r  his  M  He 

■,  ho,  in  i  the  tit st  1J  ( ihuroh.     The 

\\  t !i«.»li— t    sermon  ed  in    Bloomii  en  at  the 

John  Cm  1831  ;  l"it  f  the  villa 

will  -irv  to  state  it  was  in    Blooming   G  >ut   the  'li'. 

bave  hitherto  given.     We  have  seen  that   the  first    Moth  rmon   in 

Blooming    G      •   was  delivered  '■     &  '■    James  Stringfield,  in    1823      Prob 

rmons  were  preached  in  the  Grove  bj    xl     bodisl  circuit-riders,  between  1 823  and 
l-:;i      There  maj  bave  been  a  church  organized,  though  w<-  oan  find  no  record  of  one 

till  1v::l'.     In  l->    Bloomin    G  I  B nington  were  united  in  one  circuit,  from 

h  the  inference  is  plain  that  a  church  organisation  existed  | 

r-  that  between*  the  time  of  the  location  of  the  count]  in  the  ■ 

part  of  the  year  1831,  and  the  time  of  the  sale,  July  L,  then  thering- 

ther  of   | pie  who    intended  to  cast    their  l<>t  in  the  new  town,  and  after  thai 

nd   of  the  year,  there  were  quite  a  number  of  new-comers.     There 
one  blacksmith  here  1 1 1 « -  tir-t  _v«-:ir.  David   Trimmer,  and  one  wheelwright,  Henrj 
Miller,  who  m-in-law  of  William   Evans.      Mr.    Miller  also  made  and  repaired 

spinning- wheels ;  be  had  the  first  turning  lathe,  though  this  last  was  ae 

first  Btore  lias  already  1"  en  mentioned  as  having  bi  •  d  •'  imi  -  Ulna's,  in  what  is 

new  I»r.  Slit  idence.     Here,  at  the  place  designated  in  the  act  organizing  McLean 

County,  in  one  end  of  the  house,  the  first  Circuit  Court  was   held  bj  Jud      9    D.  Lock* 

M i    Allin  had,  Bhortly  after,  a  -t  >r<-  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Main  ami  Pront 

',  ',   Grid  on  the  opposite  corner,  where  is  now  the   M   I 

I  ik      There  was  soon  a  business  house  <'n  each   of  the  other  corners,  and 

e  this  locality  became  the  center  of  trade  and  influence.     It  was  manj  years  before 

.nr.  other  part  nf  the  city  was  of  any  importance  in  ■  commercial   point  of  view,  and 

this  will  be  known  as  the  historic   center  of  Bloomington.      It  is  also  the  geographical 

-  the  first  charter  specifies  that    Bloomington   -hall  extend  three-quarters  of  < 

mile  north,  south,  east  and  west  of  the  northwest   corner  of  Front   and    Main  stn 

I  it  v  limits  I  d  extended  several  times  Binoe;  but  tli  -•■  ext>  osions  hai 
irregularly,  '>r.  rather,  unequally  on  the  different  Bides,  bo  that   this  corner  is  not, 

strictly,  tic  geographical  center  of  the  Bloomington  of  to-day.    On  the  northeast  corner 
of  Front  and  Main  was  built  the  first  brie             in  this  city.     It  n            ted  in  I  - 
\]           ad  is  still  a  very  Bur  structure. 
I>r   Baker  and    Dr.  Wheeler  are   mentioned  as  physicians  in   1831      Th 
.   in  tin-  Hi f  business,  in  1832,  bj   Di    John  Anderson,  and   - i  after,  Dr. 

I I  added  t"  the  numb 

|;    .    .1        -    I .    •   .  who  had  li  becaiw  lent 

S3]     li—    in  I,  in  the  fall  of  this  year,  to  fence  and 

hilt'  a  mile  from  th  which  was  then  thought  a  reck- 

f  suppli  This  is  now  known  as  the    Durlej    Addition. 


30 

October  8, 1831,  Ashael  Gridley,  then  a  young  man  twenty-one  years  old,  arrived  in 
Bloomington  and  commenced  the  career  of  activity  which  has  rendered  his  name  a  household 
word  all  over  Central  Illinois.  He  commenced  improvements  in  the  fall  of  this  year,  at  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Front  streets,  where  his  fine  bank  building  now  stands.  The  lots 
at  the  corners  of  these  streets  were  the  choice  ones  of  the  new  town.  Mr.  Gridley  paid 
$51  for  his  lot,  which  had  been  bid  off  by  some  one  at  the  July  sale  for  $60.  His  home 
at  this  time  (he  being  unmarried)  was  with  the  family  of  James  Allin.  Here,  we 
may  assume,  commenced  an  active  acquaintance  and  friendship  between  the  two  active 
men,  who,  for  the  next  thirty  years  or  more,  took  such  a  prominent  part  in  the  fortunes 
of  this  thriving  young  town,  as  well  as  in  those  of  the  whole  county.  From  the  very  first 
year  of  its  existence,  he  has  been  one  of  the  foremost  in  all  enterprises  that  promised 
the  good  of  Bloomington.  Being  of  an  active,  sanguine  temperament,  quick  to  per- 
ceive, he  has  generally  been  a  leader  in  all  undertakings — giving  liberally  of  his  means, 
arguing  with  the  doubtful,  pushing  forward  the  slow  and  timid,  carrying  every  one 
onward  with  his  magnetic  enthusiasm  until  success  should  crown  the  effort.  Blooming- 
ton owes  this  gentleman  a  debt  of  gratitude  that  should  be  remembered  to  its  latest 
generations.  Our  history  mentions  his  labors  in  several  of  the  city's  undertakings,  but 
there  have  been  hundreds  of  instances  illustrating  what  we  have  mentioned,  that  live 
only  in  the  recollections  of  his  associates,  of  which  we  have  simply  gathered  a  very  few 
of  the  most  prominent. 

Gen.  Gridley  has  been  fortunate  in  his  business  ventures  and  now  possesses  a  hand- 
some estate.  Some  of  it  is  on  Front  street,  the  scene  of  his  early  labors,  quite  a  portion  in 
large  farms  in  Central  Illinois,  and  more  of  it  is  in  various  moneyed  investments.  He  is 
now  the  oldest  pioneer  who  has  lived  consecutively  in  the  city  of  Bloomington  since  the 
year  of  its  first  settlement.  He  was  in  mercantile  business  here  until  after  1840,  when 
he  studied  law  and  at  once  entered  upon  a  large  practice.  In  the  good  times  following 
the  building  of  the  Illinois  Central,  he  dealt  largely  in  real  estate ;  while  at  about  the 
same  time,  in  1853,  he  started  the  McLean  County  Bank,  of  which  he  was  President 
and  afterward  sole  owner  for  years,  though  he  has  now  taken  his  son  Edward  into  the 
firm.  Banking  has  been  his  leading  business  for  the  last  twenty-six  years,  though  his 
activity  has  been  so  great  that  he  has  been  interested  in  an  almost  infinite  number  of 
other  enterprises.  He  is  now  in  his  seventieth  year,  and  is  in  good  health.  He  is  the 
oldest  resident  of  the  city,  having  lived  here  continuously  for  forty-eight  years. 

There  were  several  residents  of  the  town,  in  the  year  1831,  who  did  not  remain 
long,  whose  names  have  not  been  preserved.  Drs.  Baker  and  Wheeler,  and  Robert 
Guthrie,  will  be  mentioned  elsewhere,  as  will  Merritt  L.  Covell,  at  this  time  a  young 
man  who  soon  entered  upon  an  active  career.  William,  Samuel  and  John  Durley 
arrived  during  the  year  1831  or  1832,  and  became  active  citizens  of  the  town,  and  their 
family  name  is  preserved  in  the  fine  public  hall  built  a  few  years  ago  by  Judge  Davis, 
and  also  in  the  name  of  the  addition  known  as  "The  Durley."  The  Durley  farm 
was  for  years  thought  to  be  just  a  little  too  far  north  and  east  to  ever  become  a  part  of 
the  city.  John  Maxwell  and  James  Tolliver  lived  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  city, 
where  their  land  is  in  part  now  known  as  the  Tolliver  Addition  to  the  city  of  Blooming- 
ton. John  Greenman  lived  in  the  part  of  the  city  now  covered  in  part  by  the  Masons  Addi- 
tion ;  and  John  Kimler's  farm  was  southeast,  and  was  in  part  the  present  Judge  McClun 
farm,  just  within  the  city  limits. 


81 

I •  k  lly  kiniwii  by  that  name 

1831,  before  th<  We  ha  town  thai  the  town  was  named  in  the 

aot  inoorporating    Ml         I  i   months  before  the   Bale  ol  nd  ■ 

month  i>r  mora  before  the  Commissioners  located  the  oonnl  "at  the  aorth  • 

nf  the  Blooming  Qrovi         3  the  location  wa-  madi  ken  to  i 

tin-  name  of  t]  I   t V ■  > 1 1 1   Blooming  Grove   to   Rloomington,  which 

occurred   in   May,  1831,  when  J  Allin  wa-  appointed   Postmaster,  and  the  offioe 

•(..  1 1 . « I  in  hi-  store.     Th.  :  the  town  properly  datei  from  the  location  of 

the  conn  though  it  was  named  on  paper  some  time  i  Its  fii 

enoe  having  been  on  paper  only,  we  have  thought  best,  in  this  history,  to  assume  thai 
the   town    now  city    of  Bloomington  enl  ilrlj   upon   it-  career  Julj   I    1831,  at 

which  time  the  public  sale  of  lota  occurred,  after  which   Bloomington  bad  nol  only  ■ 
name,  bui  also  ■  definite  location. 

Jamet  Aliin  made  the  first  addition  to  Bloomington  in  August,  1831.     It  was  by 
the  sale  <•!  l«'t*  in  this  addition  thai  Mr.  Allin  realised  some  return  for  the  donati 
tw<  1 1 1  \  - 1  w • .  ami  one-hal  which  he  made  to  the  c  lunty.     This  addition  oonsisl 

part  of  the  property  lying  south  of  Fourth  street 

\'<\  thi  end  of  the  year  1831,  public  attention  had  become  attracted  to  the  new 
town,  which  had  no  competitor  nearer  than  theold  town  of  Mackinaw,  and  it  became 
evident  thai  bew  was  to  grow  up  a  village  of  some  importance,  though  at  this  early 
day  iin  one  knew  whether  the  boundaries  of  tin-  new  county  of  M   t>  in  w  re  to  remain 

what  was  to  be  the  future  of  the  settlement  Prom  the  very 
first,  however,  Mr.  James  Allin,  ai  I  by  such  men  as  th.-  Orendorffs,  A  Grridley, 
James  Latta,  W.  11.  Bodge,  John  Benson,  and  many  others,  k.-j.t  vigilant  watch  over 
the  young  county,  and  in  the  end  proved  themselves  aide  to  preserve  its  boundaries  in 
such  shape  thai  Bloomington  continued  its  chief  central  town,  until,  in  the  • 
its,  it  v  rell  established  as  to  fear  nothing. 

The  period  from   1831   to   1836  was  one  of  greal  prosperity  f     I      tral  Ellin 
Settlers  were  pouring  in  rapidly  from  the   Bias     n  and  Southern   3  I 

emigration  from  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  made  up  mostly  of  those  who  desired  to 

their  families  awaj  from  the  blighting  and  deadening  influent  [llinois 

aing  thai  the  result  of  the  contest  on  the  rery  ■  I 

ivorsble  than  the  most  enthusiastic  adi  lorn  bad  predi 

( thin  ami  In. liana,  howev<  r.  furnished  the  most  liberal  Bhare  of  thi  men  to  Bloom- 

n  and  McL<  an  County,  though  there  were  a  few  genuine  Yankees,  and  quite  a  num- 
•    kiinwii  as  •'  Fork  Stale  Vank  The  sudden  influx  of  settlers  creal 

borne  demand  for  the  products  of  the  countr)  and  stimulated  the  trade  of  our  merch 

a  np  t"  1  B36,  the  tiiu.  of  the  great  financial  crash,  the  times  continue  .1  to  gro^ 

ter  and  better,  until  the  mania  for  land  speculation  became  prevalent,  followed  by  the 

ifa  and  crash  of  1837,  of  which  the  full  effect  foi  evil  was  not  I  for 

It  would  aj  pear  that  the  times  then 

until,  in  1842,  there  wa-  t.  rriblo  di.-tr.-s.     \Y<-  who  h  through  the  flush  times 

from  and  who  1  .ntlv 

financial  strinj  form  some  idea  of  the  condition  of  affa 

thin  vY<    ni  :   in  mind  thu  we  now  have  rai  ind  a 

rhile  in  thosi  no  marl  than  Chicago  and  St 


32 

Louis ;  and  when  we  add  to  this  the  fact  of  our  possession  of  a  currency  that  is  abso- 
lutely perfect,  and  compare  it  with  no  currency  at  all,  we  shall  begin  to  realize  the  con- 
dition of  our  early  settlers.  The  financial  question  is  treated  to  some  extent  elsewhere 
in  this  book,  and  we  shall,  therefore,  omit  further  mention  of  it  in  this  connection. 

From  1831  to  1836,  the  growth  of  Bloomington  was  rapid,  yet  at  the  latter  date 
there  were  only  450  inhabitants,  showing  it  was  still  quite  a  small  village.  We  learn 
that  as  late  as  1840  there  were  not  over  six  or  eight  stores,  though  improvements  were 
going  on  slowly  all  the  time.  We  must  remember  that  down  to  this  date  there  were 
few  who  had  attempted  to  settle  on  the  prairie ;  the  groves  were  still  the  only  desirable 
locations.  Farming  as  we  have  since  seen  it  was  hardly  thought  of,  and,  as  a  matter  of 
oourse,  there  was  less  business  in  proportion  for  merchants  than  we  see  at  the  present 
time.  The  habits  of  the  people  were  simple.  The  increase  in  wealth  had  not  yet 
brought  about  general  extravagance,  and  the  careful  habits  of  the  early  settlers  continued 
with  gradual  change  down  to  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California.  From  1849  to  1855, 
there  was  a  most  wonderful  development  of  the  county,  and  consequent  growth  of  the 
town  ;  but  all  this  was  unfelt  at  the  time  we  are  studying,  and  we  can  still  consider  it 
a  portion  of  the  good  old  times  of  McLean  County. 

It  has  been  a  matter  of  surprise  that  the  people  of  the  present  day  take  so  little  inter- 
est in  the  improvements  that  have  been  made  in  farming  implements  and  farming  pro- 
cesses. It  was  not  till  after  1842  that  plows  had  been  made  that  would  do  good  work 
•on  the  black,  fine,  prairie  soils  of  this  country.  Plows  were  made  of  cast-iron  before 
1835  ;  but  such  could  only  be  used  on  gravelly  or  sandy  soils.  They  would  not  "  scour  " 
or  keep  free  from  clogging  when  tried  here  ;  and,  for  many  years,  farmers  and  manu- 
facturers were  studying  how  to  make  a  plow  that  would  "  scour  "  in  prairie  soil.  Vari- 
ous styles  of  wooden  plows,  also  iron  and  wood  combined,  were  tried  and  abandoned, 
until  in  the  end  the  cast-steel  plow  of  the  present  day  was  brought  partly  to  perfection, 
and  added  vastly  to  the  capabilities  of  our  agriculturists.  Wheat  was  laboriously  reaped 
by  hand  with  a  sickle,  or  cut  with  a  cradle  ;  threshed  by  hand  or  horse  power  ;  win- 
nowed by  hand  ;  and,  when  ready  for  market,  could  not  be  sold  except  for  home  con- 
sumption. The  seed-drill,  the  harvester,  the  mowing-machine,  the  steam-thresher,  were 
things  of  the  future.  Corn  was  planted  by  hand  and  cultivated  by  "  single  shovel  " 
horse-plows  as  rude  as  the  plows  that  prepared  the  grounds  for  planting.  Thus,  plant- 
ing corn  by  hand,  tilling  it  slowly  and  laboriously,  our  great  staple  was  cultivated  with 
difficulty  ;  and,  when  raised,  it  could  only  be  marketed  in  the  shape  of  beef  or  pork  ; 
hogs  and  cattle  were  driven  to  Cincinnati,  Chicago,  Galena  or  St.  Louis,  and  the  long 
journey  rendered  it  advisable  to  fatten  stock  with  some  qualifications  for  speed,  or,  rather, 
ability  to  travel  with  little  loss  of  flesh.  The  fine  breeds  of  hogs  and  cattle  for  which 
McLean  County  is  now  famed,  would  then  have  been  worthless  for  driving.  This 
region  was  pre-eminently  a  stock  country.  The  large  herds  of  swine  were  nearly  wild, 
running  at  large  in  the  groves,  fattening  partially  on  nuts  and  acorns,  finished  off  late 
in  the  fall  with  as  little  corn  as  might  answer  the  purpose  ;  not  made  too  fat,  for  fear  of 
injury  in  driving  to  market.  Immense  herds  of  cattle  roamed  at  will  over  the  prairies, 
often  obtaining  their  entire  living  during  the  winter  by  browsing  on  what  they  could 
find  in  the  woods  or  "  timber  "  as  it  must  be  called  in  this  region.  This  prairie  was 
owned  by  the  Government  until  after  the  mania  for  land  speculation  from  1834  to 
1836,  when  much  of    that   near  the  timber   was    purchased  ;    but  owners   of    cattle 


seldom  troubled  themselves  to  buy  more  than  enough  for  tlnir  cultivation  "ti  :i  small 

Ii  will  readilj  I  that  aoder  this  Btate  of  affairs,  farmera  realised  t>ut  littli 

their  labor,  which  tl  nded  upon  the  cultivated  portion  of  their  lands,  and  that 

the  profit  was  chiefly  in  stock-raising,  which,  by  th< 

prioes  of  j>- -rk  and  t>  verj  Ion       \\\<-r  these  articles  had  I"  market 

under  all  the  difficult!  ribed,  there  was  generally  a  small  return  for  thi 

Hence  it  will  \><-  realised  thai  merchants  and  mechanics,  living  in  the  towns  and  villa- 

old  hav<  1  but  a  Bmall  remuni  ration  from  an  agricultural  ] pie  so  situated,  and 

no  rowth  could  have  been  looke  >  t"i"  in  :i  town  which,  like  Bloomingt  n,  w  i-  not 

a  primary  market  for  agricultural  products      Bloomington  was  a  | 
th.-  capital  of  a  tine  county,  and  ■■!  trade  with  1 1 » . -  Burrounding  count 

in  i  was  growing  with  it-  growth,  but  it  only  contained  a  population  of  1,61  1  aa  lit' 
351,  and  not  till  the  advent  of  railroads  did  the  place  put  on  tli  important 

<-it_v. 

In  common  with  other  historians,  we  find  it  difficult  to  chronicle  in  th.-ir 

et  order,  and  must  follow  the  t lir<-a>l  wherever  it  leads     leaving  the  reader  to  'l><  a 
ttion  of  the  weaving      We  have  broughl  our  narrative  down  to  about  the  year  18 
i,  perhaps,  a  reference  to  the  items  contained  in  a  copy  of  the  Bloomington  <  >' 
dated  November  17.  1838,  Vol.  2,  No.  35     which  is  before  a — maj  I"-  of  inter 

being  from  the  oldest  copy  of  the  journal  that  can  1 btained. 

[ts  editor  *  w   Fell,  anil  the  office  was  on  the  corner  of  Madison  and  '  Irove 

streets.     It-  advertisemt  were  put  up  neatly,  and  denote  typographical 

ability.     Nothing  larger  than  two-line  black-faced  primer  is  t"  be  found. 

The  law  firm  of  Davis  &  Colton  was  composed  of  David   Davis  and  Wells  Colton. 
They  offered   "  to  att<  nd  to  all  professional  business  confided  to  tluir  care  in  the  <'>uir 

Pi  MI.  in,  Macon,  Tasewell,  Putnam  and  Livings  They  would  have  their 

hands  full  to-day  over  bo  much  territory,  Burely. 

Di  John  V.  Henry  "has  returned  home"    where  from  is  not  stated),  "and  offers 
lii-  professional  to  In-  friends." 

'      ■!  ,v  W<  •  !  wanted  10,000  pounds  of  dried  hides  at  liberal  prioi 
The  annual  commencement  of  "Illinois  Seminary"  wa-  held  on  September  L9. 
Illinois  Seminary"  -till  stands,  but  i-  deserted  and  Borry-looking,  near  the  C  .v    \ 
sho] 

The  estate  of  John  rlimler,  deceased,  was  in  the  hands  of  Coffej       I        admin- 
istrators, for  sale  or  settlement 

Dions,  in  covered  wagons,  with  property  worth  $3,000,  i  route  \'<>v  Mia 

sourL 

The  death  of  Thomae  II    Haines,  M     I1       ccurred   "on  the   r : r<  1   instant,  in  the 
;;7th  year  "t*  his  age,  and  was  extensively  li'lt  and  most   deeply  deplored  in  th< 
mnnity." 

William   P    Brown  was  Postmastei       Mail  matter  arrived  and  departed  I 

.  in  the  week. 
W    II    M   Pall      ive  Dotice  that  the  n<       l.        iturc  would  be  petitioned  to  form 
by  slicing  off  a  portion  of  Ml,  in,   M.    >n  and   Champai       I 
\V.  presume  tl  ounty  thus  formed  a  is  DeWitt. 


31 

Seth  Baker,  President,  published  a  village  ordinance  notifying  that  "  each  able- 
bodied  white  male  resident  in  the  incorporated  town  of  Bloomington,  between  the  ages 
of  twenty-one  and  fifty  years,  shall  be  required  to  do  and  perform  four  days  labor  in  the 
year  1838." 

The  Central  Railroad  was  building  south,  and  had  reached  Peru.  It  was  many 
years  before  it  was  able  to  cross  the  Illinois  River. 

Benjamin  Walker  offered  $100  reward  for  two  dark-brown  horses  that  had  been 
stolen  from  the  stable  of  James  Allin,  Esq.,  in  Bloomington. 

The  stage  ran  through  from  Danville  to  Pekin  in  "  less  than  three  days."  The 
fare  one  way  was  $10.  "  No  disappointments  unless  the  roads  be  impassable."  Imagine 
a  stage  on  a  road  in  Illinois  in  a  winter  like  that  of  1877-78 ! 

0.  Covel  was  the  only  insurance  agent. 

James  Allin,  J.  W.  Fell  and  A.  Gridley  offered  property  in  Decatur  worth  $600 
to  $1,000,  to  any  one  who  would  start  a  saw-mill  there. 

Edgar  Conklin  was  a  land  agent  at  the  town  of  Le  Roy. 

Armstrong  &  Palmer,  S.  Baker  &  Co.,  Covel  &  Weed  and  James  Allin  were  the 
leading  dry  goods  merchants. 

The  "  Bloomington  Hotel  "  was  advertised  for  rent  by  A.  Gridley.  The  building 
was  one  of  the  "  finest."  It  contained  thirty  beds.  As  an  inducement,  the  advertise- 
ment went  on  to  say,  ''  Bloomington  is  the  flourishing  county  seat  of  one  of  the  first 
counties  on  the  line  of  the  stage  route  from  Danville  to  Pekin."  This  hotel  was  after- 
ward known  as  the  American  House,  and  was  moved  away  a  few  years  since  to  make 
room  for  the  fine  buildings  erected  by  Stevenson  Bros,  and  Gen.  Gridley,  on  East  Front 
street. 

The  county  of  Livingston  was  taken  off  of  McLean  in  1837,  and  entered  upon 
its  independent  career;  and  Woodford  was  organized  in  1840,  partly  from  McLean  and 
the  rest  from  Tazewell  County.  These  changes  took  but  little  business  from  Bloom- 
ington, however,  as  the  territory  named  was  very  sparsely  settled  at  the  time  of  their 
organization. 

Previous  to  1840,  several  of  the  most  prominent  and  deserving  of  our  present 
citizens,  with  others  who  are  now  dead,  became  residents  of  Bloomington  ;  but,  for  the 
period  of  time  since  the  first  sale  of  lots,  we  cannot  take  space  to  mention  more  tban  a 
few  of  the  best  known,  and  must,  from  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  be  excused  for 
leaving  out  names  equally  worthy  with  those  we  mention.  The  field  is  altogether  too 
large  for  the  thorough  cultivation  it  in  truth  deserves.  Among  those  who  arrived  at. 
this  time,  some  of  whom,  perhaps,  settled  on  farms  in  the  neighborhood,  were  Jesse  W. 
Fell,  James  B.  Price,  George  Price,  John  Price,  Dr.  John  F.  Henry,  Bailey  H.  Coffee, 
Ortugal  Covel,  William  Gillespie,  Wells  Colton,  Joshua  H.  Harlan,  Welcome  P.  Brown. 
Andrew  Dodd,  G.  B.  Larrison,  George  S.  Markley,  John  Magoun,  John  E.  McClun, 
Peter  Withers,  J.  C.  Harbord,  E.  Platte,  David  Davis,  William  T.  Major,  Dr.  L.  S. 
Major,  Dr.  John  M.  Major,  James  Depew,  W.  H.  Temple,  Hon.  James  Miller,  Thomas 
Williams,  William  Thomas,  Samuel  Lander,  K.  H.  Fell,  Andrew  M.  Scoggin,  Abra- 
ham Brokaw,  William  F.  Flagg,  John  W.  Billings,  John  T.  Gunnell,  William  O.  Viney, 
James  T.  Walton,  Joshua  R.  Fell,  Henry  Richardson,  Jonathan  Glimpse,  George 
Dietrich,  Lewis  Bunn,  William  G.  Thompson,  Allan  Withers,  Joel  Depew,  M.  H. 
Hawks,  W.  C.  Hobbs,  James  Depew,  and  others.     Col.  McCollough,  Dr.  S.  W.  Noble, 


85 

B    l»    Baker,  Chastine  Major,   \    Stansberry,  and  several  other  prominent  citizena   1  i \« •*  1 
m  various  towna  in  M   L       I  ounty  in  early  days,  and  afterward  moved  into  Blooming 
ington.     Tli'  ir  namea  will  properly  appear  in  1 1 1  -  -  different  township  histnrii  - 

Mr  -1  W.  Pell  arrived  in  Bloom  ington  in  1832.  He  waa  thi  first  lawyer  in 
Bloomington  who  had  a  regular  diploma,  though  there  were  othera  who  praotioed  law 
:i(  about  the  aame  time 

Mr.  Pell  was  one  of  the  mosl  active  and  enterprising  of  the  active  men  of  the 
town.  Witli  Mr  Jamea  Allin  and  Mr.  Qridlej  he  readily  aasoeiated,  and  the 
three,  in  ili«'  words  of  one  of  our  oldest  citizens,  formed  a  trio  thai  could  no!  be  equaled. 
In  ever}  enterprise  that  promised  the  good  of  our  city,  Mr.  Pell  was  ever  one  of  the 
foremost,  and  if  the  full  history  of  our  oity  were  written  bj  a  careful  historian,  it  a 
be  shown  that  to  him  is  due  aa  much  credit  as  to  anj  oitisen  of  the  place.  His  name 
will  occur  all  through  our  history,  though  in    1855  he  becanx  .  f   North 

Bloomington,  Boon  after  called  Normal.  The  history  of  Normal  will  give  special  men- 
tion of  Mr  J  W.  Pell,  though  during  the  twenty-five  yean  of  his  residenoe  there 
he  has  taken  :i  warn  interest  in  Bloomington'a  projects,  having  often  been  one  of  the 
it  active  and  efficient  in  carrying  forward  our  mosl  important  interests. 
It  was  during  the  time  that  elapsed  from  1830  to  L840,  that  Bloomington  took  an 
humble  plaoe  in  a  history  that  has  now  become  quite  enviable.  We  have  seen  thai  at 
its  start  very  few  advantages  over  other  towns  that  were  projeoted,  and  its 

pros]  Bted  mainly  in  the  brains  of  a  raw  enterprising  men,  who  attracted  around 

them  other  men  of  the  same  character,  of  whom  we  have  enumerated  Ron f  the  mosl 

energetic  and  mosl  effective  in  building  a  town  at  this  point,  where  men  were  com- 
pelled to  fight  against  the  Bpirit  of  the  age,  against  the  popular  ideas  of  the  times.  It 
■  mphatically  a  "  town-building  "  age.  I  'aper  towne  were  located,  projected,  bought, 
sold,  wholesaled,  retailed,  peddled,  all  over  the  entire  land.  The  veriest  dunce  in  the 
,,.|  t.-ll  exactly  what  was  required  to  build  a  town.  as  the  newspapera  were  full  of 
the  current  ideas.  It  was  demonstrated  that  in  order  to  build  a  town  there  must  be 
timber,  stone,  water-power,  coal  and  navigable  waters,  or  the  contemplated  town  most 

dily  give  ap  its  chat  Southern  [Uinoia  was  full  of  towns  of  this  character 

sessit  qualification  required.     The  Lllinois  River  from  its  mouth  !•>  above 

Ottawa,  was  lined  with  these  promising  towns,  or  paper  oitii 

B    omington  had  barelj  enough  timber  for  fuel,  none  t- •  r  manufacturing  pa 
h  1 1  do  stone,  no  coal,  no  navigation,  and,  worse  than  all,  had  no  water  t  i  der>  ad  on  for 
ordinary  drinking  purpose  -     Bloomington  had  no  chance  against  towns  like  l'>  ru,  <  )U 

ir  Jolii  t.  which  were  looked  nj a~  Bure  to  become  large  oitii  b.     The  idea  of  building 

od  town   here   waa  ridiculed  and   scouted,  and  the  men  who  were  cmjai'ed  in  the 
often  more  discouraged  than  the  present  generation  can  realise. 
But  we  show  in  these  pages  how  these  men  overcame  all  obstacles,  and  how,  in  the 

:.  it  looks  to  those  who  only  Bee  the  results,  as  it'  the  <itv 
could  scarcely  help  growing  "t  itself     The  foundations  for  its  su 
laid  in  these  <-ar  bj  the  cementing  and   forming  of  that  Bplendid  public 

;  it  of  whioh  iften  write  in  thi  se  pap 

During!  I  il  churches  wei  ind  their  houses  of  worship 

built;  quite  a  number  of  fran  ind  one  g 1  brick  it  the  northeast 

:  Main  and  Pronl  I   i    oodly  number  of  n  -       ral  of  these 


36 

last  are  still  standing,  among  them  the  Allin  residence,  built  in  1838,  by  W.  H.  Allin, 
just  west  of  the  present  Baptist  Church.  The  town  must  have  looked  quite  small,  as 
its  total  population,  in  1840,  did  not  much  exceed  600.  Its  churches  as  then  built 
were  diminutive,  its  residences  and  stores  small,  and  there  were  few  indications  of  the  fine 
structures  which,  within  twenty  years  were  to  grace  its  streets. 

Three  churches  were  built  during  this  period — the  Methodist,  Baptist  and  the  First 
Presbyterian — the  latter  the  first  brick  church  in  Bloomington.  Probably  the  city 
had  a  larger  proportion  of  professing  Christians  in  1840,  than  at  any  later  period 
of  its  history.  The  first  brick  Court  House,  built  at  a  cost  of  $8,500,  was  erected  in  1836. 
It  was  a  famous  building  for  the  times,  and  was  used  until  1868. 

Several  additions  were  made  to  the  city,  town  lots  having  been  the  principal 
article  of  export,  so  to  speak,  in  1836,  and  from  that  time  to  1840  they  were  a  drug  in 
the  market.  Many  of  these  lots  were  sold  at  the  East  during  the  era  of  speculation, 
and,  when  the  bubble  burst,  their  owners  allowed  their  investments  to  vanish,  and  the 
lots  were  sold  for  taxes.  The  various  industries  dependent  upon  agriculture,  like  black- 
smithing  and  wagon-making,  were,  however,  well  under  way  by  the  year  1840,  and  the 
town  was  beginning  to  grow  in  business  importance  more  than  in  wealth  and  population. 

1840  to  1850. 

During  this  period,  Bloomington  made  a  substantial  advance,  notwithstand- 
ing the  scarcity  of  money.  At  the  beginning,  in  1840,  the  whole  country,  East 
as  well  as  West,  was  in  the  agonies  of  financial  distress.  This  city  suffered  the 
most,  perhaps,  in  the  years  1841  and  1842,  though  it  is  likely  that  subsequently  people 
had  become  so  accustomed  to  the  hard  times  that  they  made  fewer  complaints.  Lands 
and  town  lots  were  almost  valueless  ;  in  many  cases  rich,  improved  farmingdands 
would  sell  for  less  than  SI. 25  per  acre.  People  who  did  not  own  land  felt  they 
were  fortunate — not  being  obliged  to  pay  taxes.  The  most  valuable  property  was 
our  heavy  timbered  land.  This,  it  was  believed,  had  a  real  value,  but  wild  prairie,  a 
few  miles  distant  from  timber,  was  thought  to  be  almost  worthless.  A  large  quantity 
of  prairie  had  been  entered  during  the  flush  times,  from  1834  to  1836,  and  was  now 
abandoned  by  the  speculators  who  were  generally  compelled  to  go  into  bankruptcy. 

The  times  improved  gradually,  though  even  in  1849,  when  the  gold  excitement 
broke  out,  money  was  exceedingly  scarce,  and  large  numbers  left  this  region  who  felt  tha^ 
their  chances  for  obtaining  a  competency  were  almost  infinitesimal.  Still,  in  spite  of 
hard  times,  population  increased.  The  great  distress  prevailing  in  the  Eastern  States 
forced  families  to  emigrate,  and  many  arrived,  who  came  simply  hoping  to  make  a  bare 
living,  not  looking  for  the  rich  rewards  they  ultimately  obtained.  We  find  that  from 
1845  to  1850,  the  population  of  Bloomington  increased  from  800  to  1,611,  showing  a 
vigor  that  one  would  scarcely  expect  from  the  general  condition  of  the  country  at  large. 
The  recovery  of  the  country  from  the  terrible  prostration  which  occurred  in  1836  was 
very  gradual,  but  towns  situated  in  the  midst  of  as  rich  a  country  as  there  is  surround- 
ing Bloomington,  and  inhabited  by  people  of  such  energy  and  perseverance,  recovered 
more  rapidly  than  others,  and  by  the  end  of  this  period  our  city — then  a  village — was 
once  moi^e  on  the  high  road  to  prosperity.  As  early  as  1848,  there  was  a  movement 
toward  the  establishment  of  a  college,  there  were  several  good  high  schools  or  academies 
in   operation,   and  there  was  talk  of  starting  a  city  government,  as  the  town  or  village 


T 

i Dilation  then  •  was  Found  t"  bo  almost  entirely  inoperal  u  l  S5ii 

in  irk  ill.    commencement  of  an  era  of  enu  ■■.■  !  it  this  time  thai 

railroad-building  began  tnd  among    the  man)   projects   for   making    i {!•  >< >m 

ington  i  railroad  oenter,  il  thai  the  Illinois  Central,  and.  perhaps  .1  other 

railroads  would  reach  this  oitj  in  the  oourse  of  the  nexl  fj  In  leu  than  thi 

re  in  operation. 
Prom  1  8  l*_*  t « •  1  8  i :  I   numbers  of  the  new,  improved  plows  were  introdnoed 

plows  thai  would  i       or  U"rk  freelj  in  the  rich  prairie  soil,  and  bj  the  year  I860, 

re  used  to  some  extent,  and  farmers  oould  Bee  theii  wai  dearly.     The  da\  of 

toilsomi    banddabor  was  about  to  give  plaoe  t<>  the  corn-planter,  the  wer  and  tl 

and  the  oourage  thus  given  to  our  farm<  upon  the  towns  and 

cities  situated  in  rioh  agricultural  districts      Tin  —  -  causes  bad  greal  influenoe  upon  the 
uili  and  w<  Ifare  of  Bloomington.     This  city  bad  the  bonor,  as  earl)  is  1841  or  1842 
to  manufacture  improved  plows  -those  thai  would  "scour."     The)  were  made  in  la 
numbers  bj  Bunn,  Ellsworth  &  Brokaw. 

\\  .  K.  Plagg  and  J.  W.  Swing  are  entitled  to  greal  credit  for  tin  ir  reaper  which 
they   broughl  early  as  1848  and    1849.     Thej    were  among  r  1 1  ♦  - 

most  inventors  of  improved  reapers  and  manufactured  a  large  number.      Mr.  Fla 
n  after  built  bis  fine  factory  and  carried  on  quite  a  large  business.     In  r>  a|><  r-  a* 
well  a>  plows,  Bloomington 's  manufacturers  soon  had  an  enviable  reputation. 

During  the  latter  part  of  this  decade,  the  "Gold  Fever,"  "r  California  emigration, 
took  awaj  a  large  number  of  Bloomington's  most  energetic  and  active  young  nun.  who, 
with  ilnir  expensive  outfits,  made  a  severe  drain  npon  the  town.     Their  places  hi 

re  filled,  and  soon  the  village  was  going  ahead  as  well  as  a!  any  time  in  its  history 
Between  1840  and  1  S50,  Bloomington  experimented  with  a  to*  n  or  village  government, 
having  bad  a  Board  of  Trustees  with  Borne  of  the  powers  of  a  citj  government.  The 
i'  -ult  of  the  effort  was,  thai  public  Bentiment  crystallised  into  Buch  a  condition,  thai 
when  the  city  charter  w;<-  adopted  in  1351,  it  found  the  waj  prepared  for  the  Bteadj 
and  reliable  municipal  government  that  has  prevailed  For  twenty-eight  years, 

1850   ro   I860. 

In  tip  beginning  of  this  decade  there  was  an  advance  in  prosperity,  and  bj 
tin  1852    this  whole    region  was   moved    bj    a  sudden  impulse,   to  which  all 

previous  improvement  was  Blow   indeed.  this  time,  the    Illinois    Central    Rail- 

building  in   good  earnest  .    its  route   was  established  .     Bloomington 
I". int  on  its  tine,  and  became  headquarters  for  the  contractors  who  were  making  the 
i   while  the  Chicago  a.  Alton  was  commenced  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year. 

M  j    -■    1853  Illinois  Central  oars  wen    running  from   La  Salle  t"   Bloom 

••■tl .  and  in  the  autumn  of  tin-  same  year,  the  other  line  was  in  op  ration  from  this 
plai         :        :lirl'!.     I!"tli  roads  were  Boon  after  extended,  bo  that  i«n  main  lines  w< 

n,  havii  built  rapidly,  and  Bloomingtoniana  were  hard Ij  read)  to  believe  thai 

these  <-vi<i  future  growth  and  development  oould  I"-  real      It  was  ;it  this  time 

our  city  began  to  maki  Bouses  and  stores  wen  rapidly  built ;  n 

Iditions  laid  out ;  money  became  plenty,  and  prospei  tied  on  < 

The  growth  of  the  county  kept  pao  with  the  town,  and  fbrtum  -  wi 
tw".  by  thi  ii  the  vain.-  of  real  estate      The  population  "t  the  (ritj  a 


38 

1,611  in  1850,  and  rose  to  5,000  in  1855,  7,000  in  1858,  and  was  about  8,000  at  the 
time  of  the  Federal  census  in  1860. 

During  this  decade,  Blooniington  was  ornamented  by  the  beautiful  residence  of 
Gen.  Gridley,  built  at  a  cost  of  $40,000,  in  1859;  and  also  the  Gov.  Matteson  house, 
at  the  northeast  corner  of  Jefferson  and  Lee  streets ;  the  ltoadnight  house,  northwest 
corner  Lee  and  Locust ;  Col.  Boyd's,  Gen.  Orme's,  and  several  other  fine  residences. 
The  "old  Methodist  Church"  was  erected  in  1850.  Thomas  Williams  was  the  con- 
tractor. The  Baptist  Church  was  built  in  1857  ;  A.  H.  Gage,  architect  and  contractor. 
The  Second  Presbyterian  Church  and  several  other  church-buildings  date  from  about 
this  time.  The  elegant  National  Bank  building  was  erected  in  1860.  The  Ashley 
House  was  built  in  1857,  as  far  as  putting  on  the  roof.  The  enterprise  stopped  till 
1862,  when  Mr.  Thomas  Ashley,  Sr.,  finished  the  building.  Those  fine  stores  called  Phoe- 
nix Block,  on  the  south  side  of  the  square,  and  the  north  half  of  those  buildings  on 
the  west,  and  three  on  the  north  side,  now  known  as  the  Metropolitan  Block,  were  all 
finished  previous  to  1860,  as  also  Royce  Block,  and  a  fine  block  on  Main  street,  south 
of  the  latter,  burned,  however,  together  with  the  Nicolls  House,  in  a  great  fire  in  the 
winter  of  1862.  The  west  side  of  Main  street,  from  Front  to  Washington,  was  built  up 
before  1857,  including  the  McLean  County  Bank,  as  was  the  large  block  of  six  fine 
stores  on  the  south  side  of  Front  street,  between  Main  and  Center.  Other  improve- 
ments of  importance  also  date  from  this  period.  The  old  Wesleyan  College  building, 
the  Fourth  Ward  Public  School,  Major's  Female  College,  Conover's  Female  Seminary, 
and  the  Normal,  were  all  either  completed  or  well  under  way  before  the  year  1860.  It 
was  during  this  period  that  the  Chicago  &  Alton  shops  were  also  started  (they  employed 
180  men  in  1857),  and  the  large  manufacturing  establishment  of  Flagg's  (now  the  chair- 
factory),  with  other  important  shops,  began  to  give  Bloomington  the  air  of  a  manufact- 
uring as  well  as  that  of  a  commercial  and  educational  center,  and  it  was  now  fairly 
started  on  its  career  of  usefulness  and  importance. 

During  the  ten  years  under  consideration,  the  population  of  Bloomington  under- 
went a  remarkable  change.  Instead  of  a  purely  American  community,  as  in  1850,  the 
year  1860  found  here  a  large  sprinkling,  in  all,  perhaps,  two  thousand  or  more,  of  for- 
eigners, who  had  come  to  stay.  The  building  of  the  two  railroads  had  brought  hither 
a  large  number  of  Irish  workmen,  and  their  presence  induced  the  settlement  of  many 
of  the  best  class  of  Irish,  men  of  education  and  means,  who  cast  in  their  lot  with  their 
countrymen,  forming  in  the  aggregate  a  very  valuable  element  of  the  total  population 
of  the  city. 

The  increase  of  Germans  was  also  very  large,  particularly  in  the  years  1854  to 
1858.  They  were  a  hard-working,  well-behaved  class,  who.  with  their  successors,  have 
now  become  numerous,  and  who,  for  general  good-conduct,  industry  and  good-citizen- 
ship are  not  surpassed  by  any  nationality  in  Bloomington.  At  the  rate  they  are  now 
increasing,  and  allowing  that  they  continue  to  accumulate  money  for  fifty  years  as  they  have 
during  the  past  twenty,  the  Germans  will  predominate  in  numbers,  wealth  and  influence. 

It  was  between  1853  and  1858  that  the  great  speculation  occurred  in  town  lots 
and  farm  property.  The  rapid  building  of  the  town  created  a  demand  for  lots  that 
astonished  all  the  old  residents.  Even  men  like  the  old  leaders,  Messrs.  Allin,  Fell, 
Gridley  and  Davis,  could  not  keep  their  ideas  up  with  the  improvements  going  on  all 
around  them. 


When  the  Chi'  and  machine-sho]  in  1853,  they 

.  f.ir  -ut  of  town  that    people  going  there  from  where  thi    \-;     •  II  ■;-     • 

the  priiri'-  most  of  the  di  though  it  waa  hardly 

t)ir  the  whole  is  filled  with  h  nd  buildings       In  the  year 

",.;,  thei  i  buildii  '"  thdm  in 

•  of  improvi  daring  that   sii 

:  i  quart*  r  of  a  million.     Daring  the  rout  yean  from  1854  t<>  1858   our  city  ma 

ot  stridi        -         '  additi  ■  laid  oat  and   large  sums  of  moi 

de  of  li 

The  panic  of  185*  B         i      in  l>ut  temporarily,  although  many  ol 

men  were  overwhelmed  in  ruin.      The  failure  of  the  crop  of  winter 

-    -  was  fell    m  >ur  city  people  were  now  land 

nlaton  <>r  gentleman   farmers,  cultivating  farms  by  oonti  bfa  tenai  I   the 

ill  added  largely  to  the  general  die  We  e-hall  find,  bov  that,  in  the  conn 

jt  the  city  had  ind  waa    i_'iin  growings  r  > .  ■  1  *. .  r»  * 

in  it.-  history 

l-  1870 

\    the  beginning  of  tli"  time  now  un  1  nr  consider  ition,  the  businees  of  tli nntry 

fair  condition,  but  was  threatened  with  overthrow  and  prostration  by  the  civil 
.-.  then  -  I  in  by  most,  though  it-  effects  being  felt,  imperceptibly, 

at  -till  effectually  hindering  improvement.     In  a  -ln>rt  time  the  efforts  of  all 
re  directed  t"  saving  whal  was  then  p  I,  with  little  though!  of  further  aceumu- 

ion;  but  the  results  of  strife  and  commotion  were,  after  all,  not  unfavorable  to  growth 
tre  find  that  as  early  a-  1862  the  city  was  well  under  way  in 
of  prosperity.     At  the  close  of  the  war  in  1865,  buildings  were  springing  u|>  on  every 
band.     The  y<  reus  Liberty  Block,  the  "1,1   P    •   <>•':.       Block,  8chi 

Block,  and  ..tlnr  buildings  completed  .  and  before  the  year  181  can  chronicle  the 

mpletion  of  -•  ■m>-  more  m  the  north  and  several  on  the  wesl  Bide  of  the  Public 

Square,  with  other  impn  -      We  also  note  the  completion  of  the  immens 

ops,  the  fine  ne*  Court  Souse,  the  High  School,  the  Pint,  Third  and  Fifth 
Ward  school-buildings   tl     I        C  ngregational  Church,  the  fine  resident  I1     -lit 

Harwo  d,  B    K   William-.  Laurence  Weldon,  W.  I'   I'  Peter  Whitmer,  and  otl 

equally  well  worthy  of  mention.     The   rapid   growth  of  tl ity   in  tin'  northern    ind 

northeastern  directioi  bout  this  time.     The  population  of  the  pi  rly 

or  quite  doubled  in  these  ten  years,  it  being  about   fifteen  thousand,  by  the   Unit 

1   1870,  while  the  value  of  building!  I,  reckoned  of  course,  on  the 

inflated  ba  12,000,000      In  this  period,  we  must  credit  the  building  of  the 

[ndian  B    omington  A  Western,  the  Jacksonville  branch  of  the  Chi  S    Mton, 

and  the  commencement  of  the   I.    I    rett<  \  Bloomingt  n   Railr  ids   all  of  which  con 
tributed  largely  to  the  wonderful  prosperity  of  the  thriving  citj       \t  the  close  of  this 
riod,  the  Chicago  A    Uton  shops  were  burn       0  tober  31  i    and.  in  order 

ure  their  rebuilding  at  Bloomington,  the  <it\  voted  '0  in  bonds  to  remunei 

the  company  fbr  land  purchased  for  the  enlarged  sho]  s,  and  the  city  al  ral 

HtrectK  .md  alleys  desired.     This  issue  of  bonds  could  not  I"-  legal  until  a  Bpecial 
the  I.-  risl  '•  btained.     Thu  ne,  but  the  bill  wa  0       Palmer, 

m  the  groand   of  unconstitutionalitj      Bloomington  lobby  of  thirty  or  fi 


40 

influential  men  to  Springfield,  who  presented  their  case  to  the  Legislature  so  well  that  the 
bill  was  passed  over  the  Governor's  veto.  These  bonds  have  since  been  paid,  principal  and 
interest,  though  if  opposition  had  been  made,  there  is  no  doubt  the  constituion  would  have 
prevented  the  collection  of  the  taxes.  The  securing  of  these  shops,  the  passage  of  the 
law  and  the  ultimate  payment  of  this  money,  make  a  chapter  of  history  that  exhibits 
the  pluck  and  determination  of  Bloomington  better  than  almost  any  other  event  since 
its  settlement. 

The  increase  of  wealth  during  the  ten  years  from  1860  to  1870  was  entirely  withouf 
precedent  in  the  history  of  Bloomington.  Business  of  all  kinds  prospered  ;  there  were 
few  business  failures,  and  our  citizens  generally  believed  the  road  to  fortune  was  open 
and  plain  before  them,  with  no  devious  windings,  no  pit-falls,  no  danger  of  failure.  A 
different  state  of  affairs,  however,  will  be  pictured  in  the  next  chapter. 

1870  to  1879. 

When  the  war  closed,  most  people  looked  for  a  sudden  fall  in  values,  and  a  rapid 
return  to  the  old  paths  of  plodding  industry,  but,  to  their  surprise,  the  career  of  pros- 
perity lasted  until  the  panic  of  1873,  and,  as  a  consequence,  Bloomington  still  continued 
to  add  to  its  borders,  to  beautify  its  churches,  its  residences,  and  in  various  directions 
put  on  the  airs  of  a  metropolitan  city.  Even  when  the  panic  of  1873  had  demonstrated 
that  the  country  at  large  had  received  a  check,  Bloomington  continued  to  build  and 
enlarge,  to  embark  in  enterprises,  stubbornly  refusing  to  acknowledge  that  for  a  time,  at 
least,  the  city  must  wait  for  the  further  growth  of  the  country  in  its  rear.  Building  did 
not  stop  till  1877,  and  even  then  could  scarcely  be  said  to  be  at  an  end.  In  the  early 
years  of  this  decade,  the  elegant  Wesleyan  College,  the  beautiful  Minerva  Block,  Roush 
&  Humphrey's  and  Oberkoetter's  fine  wholesale  blocks,  Ives  Block,  the  two  Swan  Blocks, 
Davis  Block,  containing  Durley  Hall,  the  tasteful  People's  Bank,  Livingston  Block,  the 
stone  front  on  the  east  side  of  the  square,  Washington  Block,  and  many  other  fine 
stores,  were  finished.  The  new  Post  Office  Building,  corner  of  Front  and  Center,  one  of 
the  best  blocks  in  the  city,  was  built  in  1876,  by  L.  Ferre.  It  is  a  building  remarkably 
well  adapted  to  the  purpose  designed. 

The  many  brick  stores  on  West  Chestnut  street  were  erected  during  the  early  part 
of  this  decade,  it  being  evident  from  the  building  of  the  immense  machine-shops  that 
there  would  be  a  permanent  demand  for  these  structures.  During  these  ten  years,  the 
city  built  over  a  mile  of  Nicolson  (wooden)  pavement,  commenced  its  system  of  sewers 
and  built  its  Water  Works  and  City  Hall. 

To  this  period,  we  credit,  also,  the  elegant  new  Methodist  Church,  the  Episcopal 
Church,  the  large  Catholic  Church,  and  several  small  churches.  A  large  number  of  fine 
private  houses  date  from  1870  to  1879.  Among  these  we  will  mention  that  of  Judge 
David  Davis,  in  1871,  costing  over  $50,000,  and  that  of  Dr.  C.  Wakefield,  in  1873,  cost- 
ing $25,000,  and  several  others  of  great  value  and  beautv. 

Population  has  increased  from  15,000  to  an  honest  18,000,  though  we  flatter  our- 
selves that  a  certain  director}'  census  taken  in  1873 — under  a  contract  giving  no  pay 
unless  there  might  be  found  20,000  souls — is  a  reliable  indication  that  our  population 
exceeded  the  desired  figure  by  100  at  that  time. 

Although  Bloomington  merchants  did  some  wholesaling  previous  to  1870,  the 
growth  of  this  branch  of  our  commerce  has  been  wonderful  in  the  last  ten  years.     There 


II 

are  now  forty  wholesale  firms,  employii  n,  sellin 

..ii  diffi  n  di  Si  ites,  who  are  missionaries  to  mii»nu  the  whole  world  of  tin-  a. Ivan 

he  derived  from  trade  «i'l'  the  thriving  oit)  of  Bloomington 
"1* l»  i -  wholeaale  business  and  the  successful  enterprise  of  several  of  otu  manufacture 
taken    togethci     givi    evidenoi    of  I'm  up-   prosperity,   when  "better  times"  shall 

( tur  scene  is  now  drawing  t"  a  olose      We  have  pictured   Bloomingtoo  feebly,  l>ui 

we  have  tricl  to  indicate  thai  in  it-  da)  of  "small  beginnings     i(  was  i  town  of  anusual 

r,  and  contained  :i  vast   amount  of  "  i  We  b  i  a  it  arise  from 

i In-  crash  of  1836,  before  the  country  :ii  large  had  n  I.  and  found  it  well  on  its 

to  renewed  prosperity  \>m^  before  the  eroaken  conoeived  suoh  an  outcome  could 

isible      W<    saw    Bl nington  prostrate  again  in   1857,  and  before  long  it  again 

i  with  the  olick  of  thi  mason's  trowel  and  echoed  t"  the  hammer  of  the  busy 
in.  r      We  Ins.  traced  th  I  of  the  third  financial  crisis,  and   found  our  city 

-    like  the  whole  nation,   Kasl  and  West — prostrated  in   ■  degree,  but    not   hop* 
Unlike  the  previous  occasions  of  disaster,  the  history  of  the  present  has  the  strong  r 
of  the  brightly. dawning  prosperity   upon  a  permanent  basis  of  financial  honesty  and 
national  l'"'"1  faith. 

for  the  "  good  time  coming        Bloomington  has  its  sails  all 
It  i-  read)  for  the  fair  wind.     It-  storehouses,  it-  manufactories,  its  radiating  nul- 
ls, it-  energetic  merchants,  it-  cautious  capitalist — all  are  here  on  the  spot,  capable 

the  name  and  tame  of  our  g 1  <it_\  I  r  lengths,  to  higher  flights 

than  ever  known  before.     Th<    generation  <>t'  active  young  men  now  on  the  r 

about  to  tak«-  their  places  there,  are,  a  majority  of  them,  born   Bloomingtonians      Let 
them  study  the  proud  record  of  the  achievements  of  their  lathers,  and  i  that, 

come  what  will,  the  Bloomington  of  the  future  shall  at  least  be  the  equal  of  the  Bloom- 
ington of  the  past 

i.i  \    OBIDLEI    •    KK<  OL1  BOTIONS 

Th.    following  -:  n.  in.  hi   ua-  given  by  Gen.  Gridle)  to  a  short-hand  n 
conversation,  and  written  out  b)    the  reporter  subsequently.     It  does  not  pretend  to  !><■ 
anything  more  than  a  slight  sketch  of  prominent  facts,  given  as  an  interview 

I  i  une  to  this  county  the  8th  day  of  October,  1831.     This  count]   was  •  • 
ised  bj  an  act  of  tb<    I.      alature  during  then  d  in  the  winter  of  1830  and  l-".l 

This  citj  was  hud  out  in  June,  1831, by  the  then  Count)  Commissioners  John  Cheney, 
.  Timothy   l»   Boblit,  of  Mi_'  Grove    now  in  !>••  Witt  County  .  and 
i:  II  Q  The  lii-t   sale  of  lots  was  on  the  Itli  da)  of  July, 

l^.;i      The)   were  sold  b)   th<-  t ' » ■  1 1 n t \   Commissioi  The  proceeds  of   that 

amounted  to  about  -  .hi.-h  was  osed  to  build  a  Court    II    .         Thi    land  in  th< 

original   town   of    Bloomington    was  donated  b)   James   Allin  to  the  county  l^r  that 
Tl        mnt)  before  that  time  was  a  pan  of  Tazewell  County.     There  ■• 
a  dozen  families  in   Bloomington  when   1  came  h  Ph  Col. 

':    Baker,  Dr.  Wheeler,  James  Allin,  David  Trimmer,  Robert  Guthrie,  Wi 
McK  --'ti.  and  there  wen    i   few  others.     Mr    McKisson   was  not   married  at  that 
tiuj.-,  but  married  shortly  after      I  recoiled  "l<l  John  Dawson.     When  I  arrived  in  this 

ii  miles  east  of  Bloomington,  on  the  Indian  Camp.     I 
don't  know  "t  an)    Indians  being  there  at  that  turn       II-    a  is  a  man  of  strong 


42 

principle,  natural  good  sense  and  a  thoroughly  honest  man,  with  a  strong  will,  of  great 
kindness.  Integrity  and  hospitality  to  strangers  were  the  general  characteristics  of 
the  early  settlers  of  this  county,  treating  a  stranger  as  well  as  an  acquaintance  with 
the  greatest  kindness.  Of  the  early  settlers  of  this  county,  I  never  knew  of  but  one 
family  that  were  inclined  to  be  dishonest.  Some  of  them  are  here  now,  and  some  of 
them  went  away.  John  Dawson  had  early  acquired  a  good  deal  of  property,  and  was 
considered  quite  a  wealthy  man,  but  he  lost  a  good  deal  and  gave  security  for  a  good 
many. 

"Old  Dr.  Baker  came  to  McLean  County  in  1830  ;  he  was  a  very  excellent  man ; 
he  never  practiced  medicine.  He  was  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners 
and  Clerk  of  the  Probate  Court ;  was  Postmaster  several  years.  He  was  a  kind,  gen- 
erous-hearted man,  giving  information  with  regard  to  real  estate  and  business  matters 
generally,  within  his  knowledge,  without  compensation.     He  died  about  six  years  ago. 

"  There  were  no  Indians  around  here  when  I  came,  except  a  few  Pottawatomies, 
who  had  their  homes  up  in  Indian  Grove,  in  Livingston  County. 

"In  the  spring  of  1832,  we  raised  a  company  for  the  Black  Hawk  war.  Mr.  L. 
Covel  was  the  Captain  and  I  was  First  Lieutenant  and  Baldwin  was  Second  Lieuten- 
ant. The  company  consisted  of  fifty-six  mustered  men,  each  man  furnishing  his  own 
horse  and  equipage.  Leaving  here  in  June,  we  were  attached  to  Stillman's  Battalion  at 
Peoria.  Arrived  at  Dixon,  on  Rock  River,  a  few  days  later,  and  there  learned  that 
Black  Hawk  was  about  thirty  miles  up  the  river.  We  were  to  await,  at  Dixon,  the 
arrival  of  the  main  army.  The  volunteers  in  Stillman's  Battalion  numbered  just  206 
men.  The  men  were  very  anxious  to  go  and  clean  out  the  Indians,  and  not  wait  for 
the  regulars.  So  we  went  on  and  came  up  with  the  Indians,  six  or  seven  hundred 
strong,  a  little  way  on  the  other  side  of  what  is  now  called  Stillman's  Run.  I  cannot 
say  much  about  the  fight,  but  this,  and  that  is,  we  got  most  beautifully  whipped  in  the 
fight  with  the  Indians.  We  only  lost  one  man  from  this  county,  and  his  name  is  Joseph 
Draper  ;  he  was  in  our  company.  After  the  fight,  we  returned  to  Dixon,  thirty  miles 
distant,  the  best  way  we  could. 

"  Soon  after  the  battle,  we  were  sent  back  to  this  county  and  mustered  out  of  serv- 
ice. Soon  after  this,  another  company  was  formed  and  mustered  into  the  service.  That 
company  was  commanded  by  Capt.  John  H.  S.  Rhodes,  who  was  killed  on  the  I.,  B.  & 
W.  Railroad,  about  two  years  ago. 

FINANCIAL    CRISIS    OP    1837. 

"The  great  financial  crisis  was  in  1837,  but  it  was  beginning  to  be  felt  in  1830. 
It  was  caused  by  the  Government  of  the  United  States  withdrawing  its  deposits  from 
the  banks,  and  also  by  the  wild  speculations  in  real  estate  at  that  time,  and  consequently 
the  establishment  of  State  banks,  and  wild-cat  banks  sprang  up  in  every  direction  in 
their  stead. 

"  The  greatest  number  of  wild-cat  banks  sprang  up  in  Michigan.  They  started  so 
many  in  that  State  that  they  found  difficulty  in  getting  names  for  them  all.  To  give 
you  an  idea  of  the  number  of  banks  at  that  time,  if  you  had  $1,000  in  bills,  there 
would  be  in  that  $1,000  the  bills  of  over  two  hundred  different  banks.  The  Michigan 
money  at  that  time  went  by  the  name  of  red-dog,  as  the  bills  were  most  of  them  printed 
on  red. 


I  he  real  ilation,  which  was  one  of  the  T  "ur  financial  trouble 

in  1836  and  1837,  was  mostly  in  starting  up  towns  and  speculating  in  town  loti      I    irn 

r  thai  time  brought  as  high  i  \ft.r  the  orasfa  came,  tl  il<l 

not  I  >  i-  i  [went  t<>  Philadelphia  in  1836,  and  sold  aboul  or 

-    1,000  worth  of  lots,  and  tl  after  the  panio,  could  i"-  bought  at  an) 

j>ri.-.' ,  and  1 1 1 « -  purchasers  of  a  '_'""d  man)  of  the  I  d  at  thai   time,  and,  in  fact, 

th.  majoril  r  thoughl  it  worth  while  t  >  pay  the  taxes  on  tbem,     Tin-  li  in 

Allin  A:  Gridli  lition  would  nol  bring  -         16   and  the  parties  in   tl,     I 

]<-t  them  go  for  taxi 

During  the  time  of  tin'  real  estate  speculations,  i   _r.'at   m  iny  towns  were  laid 
.nit  ;ill  over  the  country  ;  in  fact,  m  laying  out   towns  or  wanted 

\         I  many  of  these  towns   n<  me  to  anything,  and   then  again,  them 

did  well.     At  thai  time,  Mr  J<  -•    Pell  laid  nut  Clinton,  and  I  think  lie  can  !"•  proud 

•  if  thai   town,  t "•  •  r  i r  is    i   b 1.  thriving  city.     Tin'  people  living   around    I'.      G 

!•    Win  County,  wanted  a  town,  and  as  the  settlement  was   around   th<  of  the 

Grove,  they  all  wanted  a  town  right  in  the  center,  bo  it  would  !"•  easy  of  md  t.> 

■  them  all.     We  bad  a  sale  there  and  it  was  a  very  good  one.      I   '1..  nol   remember 
just  what  th.'  lots  <li<l  bring  apiece,  bul    I    think  the  Bale  amounted   t"  $600  "i-  $700 

\-    i  town,  it  was  a  failure,  lik.'  a  good    many  ..tl 

■In  1 836,  Gen   Bartholomew  laid  out  a  little  town  ami  called  it   Clarksville,  not 
far  from  Lexington;  bul   that   town,  like  the  one  in   Big  Grov<  M 

wn  ami  myself  laid  out  Lexington,  Bixteen  mil.'-  north  of  Bloomington  ;  that 
...1  location  ami  they  have  a  tin.'  town  th 

1     rell  and  myself,  about  the  same   time,  laid  out    LeRoy;    'hit   i>  sixi 
mil.  B      nington,  and  that  was  also  a  buo© 

TIIK     i:\NKUI    I'I'i'V      LAW 

The  bankruptcy  law  of  1M"  took  effect  in  the  Bpring  of  1841,  ami  .-.>~t  a  man 
|25  to  :       r     :     person   that    had  done  an)    kind   of  businesf 

-  entirely  used  up 

\'l  the  bankruptcy  business  was  done  at  Springfield,  in   tin-  court  tl  'i'l   I 

had  fifty-one  cases  in  that   court   from  this  Bection  of  the  countr)       Every  man  that 
had  been  engaged  in  business  here  took  the  benefit  ■»!'  tin-  law. 

■•  Tin-  assignee's   labors  were   light  a-   th  small,  ami  sometimes  they 

re  nothing,  a-  everybody  was  broken  up,  and  book  accounts  were  of  no  value  whatei 

In  tl;  se  days,  when  we  run  a  mill  by  horse-power,  th.'  I  dked  on  a  i. 

round    platform,  ami  th.    horse  kepi  on   walking  hut    never  gol   any   farther.      Mr. 

9    '1111.111  I1  i  notion  int..  his  bead  that  l.\  putting  a  wagon  heavil)  loaded  with 

of  th.'  horses,  it  would  answer  th.-  same   purp  -        So  he  fixed  up  his 

mill,  ami  on  a  certain  day  hi  notice  that   all  would  be  ready  i"  start     On  that 

flocked  from  far  and  widi  the  wonderful  newmotive  power.     Well,  he 

thing   ready,  and  yelled   oul  to  hi-  brother  to  out  the  string  which  held  the 

•m-  to  'In-  side  of  the  building,  an  1  t.>  his  utter  amazement  th.-  mill  -t 

still  a-  when  th.   wagon  was  tied  up.     TheadventuA  failure 


44 

LAWYERS. 

"  Jesse  W.  Fell  was  the  first  lawyer,  Welcome  P.  Brown  was  the  second  and  Judge 
David  Davis  was  the  third.  George  S.  Markley  was  the  fourth,  and  then  came  Albert 
Dodd  and  myself.  Albert  Dodd  was  drowned  in  the  Mackinaw  while  coming  home  from 
a  political  convention  in  1840.  The  first  Court  House  was  a  small  frame  building,  and 
set  in  the  middle  of  the  square,  in  the  same  spot  where  our  present  magnificent  Court 
House  now  stands.  It  was  only  a  one-story  structure,  and  was  built  at  a  cost  of 
$300.  The  first  Court  was  held  in  a  part  of  Dr.  Stipp's  house.  Judge  Lockwood 
presided.  The  Court  was  not  in  session  over  five  minutes — there  was  no  business  to  be 
done. 

"  John  H.  Pugh,  John  T.  Stuart  and  several  others  that  have  taken  prominent 
parts  in  our  history,  were  in  attendance  at  that  Court.  The  new  brick  Court  House  was 
built  in  1836.  Mr.  Munsell,  of  Paris,  Edgar  County,  was  the  contractor.  Judge  S- 
D.  Lockwood  was  the  first  Judge.  Judge  Treat  succeeded  him.  Judge  Logan  was  here 
for  a  short  time,  perhaps  for  two  terms  of  Court.  Judge  David  Davis  succeeded  him. 
The  district  comprised  at  that  time  about  sixteen  counties.  After  Judge  Davis  was 
appointed  on  the  Supreme  Bench  by  President  Lincoln,  Judge  John  M.  Scott  was 
elected  in  his  place,  and  he  was  our  Circuit  Judge  until  he  was  elected  to  the  Supreme 
Court  of  this  State,  and  he  was  succeeded  by  Judge  Thomas  F.  Tipton,  and  he  was 
followed  by  Judge  Otis  T.  Reeves,  who  is  still  our  Judge  for  this  district. 

"  Col.  Baker  practiced  here,  and  was  one  of  the  most  eloquent  speakers  I  ever 
heard.  Judge  Davis  practiced  law,  before  his  election  to  the  Judgeship,  in  partnership 
with  Wells  Colton,  who  afterward  moved  to  St.  Louis  and  was  killed  there  in  the  great 
fire  of  1849.  He  had  a  great  deal  of  ability,  and  had  an  excellent  legal  mind,  and 
would  have  been  a  very  prominent  man  in  the  legal  profession  if  he  had  lived.  Gen. 
Covel  came  to  Bloomington  in  May,  1831.  He  was  Postmaster  for  a  time,  and  Clerk 
of  the  Circuit  Court  for  many  years.  He  went  to  Washington  to  take  a  position  under 
Polk,  in  about  1845,  and  died  while  there.     He  was  an  upright  and  honest  man. 

"  Col.  E.  D.  Baker  was  the  finest  speaker  there  was  at  the  bar.  He  was  truly  an 
eloquent  man.  While  he  was  in  partnership  with  me,  he  never  examined  any  case  or 
prepared  any  himself,  and,  in  the  financial  part,  he  never  looked  at  the  books,  but  came 
to  me  and  took  it  for  granted  that  everything  was  all  right.  I  remember  one  case  that 
we  were  very  much  interested  in  (and  one  of  his  prominent  traits  was  his  great  fondness 
for  ladies'  society),  and  we  desired  him  to  make  a  careful  examination  of  the  papers. 
In  the  evening,  we  had  a  gathering  at  our  house.  I  put  the  papers  in  my  pocket,  and, 
during  the  evening,  I  had  him  come  out  in  another  room  to  look  over  the  papers.  He 
took  them,  put  them  in  his  pocket  without  examining  them,  and,  to  my  surprise,  he 
knew  as  much  about  them  as  though  he  had  given  them  a  careful  and  thorough  exam- 
ination ;  but  that  was  one  of  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  the  man,  and  I  never  saw 
a  man  that  could  equal  him  in  summing  up  a  case. 

ABRAHAM    LINCOLN. 

"  Abraham  Lincoln  was  one  of  the  first  lawyers  that  practiced  at  this  bar.  When 
Mr.  Lincoln  had  a  good  case,  he  was  invincible ;  when  he  had  a  poor  case,  or  one  in 
which  he  thought  he  had  not  justice  on  his  side,  I  would  rather  be  against  him  than 
any  man  I  know.     When  he  had  an  idea  that  he  was  in  the  wrong,  he  could  not  take 


Mine  inl  I  '       il.l  win  nine  i-xts  mit  nt'  i.ti  ..l'  that  kind  when  Mr.  Lincoln 

on  the  other  side. 

-1  I  I'll  in     \      DOUGLAS 

this  Cowl       Be  aevei  amounted  to  much  u  a  lav  that  is  to  say,  he 

r  took  rank  with   Lincoln  and  Baker.     Doug  District  Attorney  for  this  I1 

t rift      When  he  came  here  he  alwaj  I  with  me,  and  always,  ap  to  the  time  of 

leath,  we  a  ads.     As  a  man,  he  p  is  honorable  and  just.     As 

nt  Attorney  be  was  d  and  I  don'l  believe  he  convicted  om  at  of 

U  ii  thai  he  wan  int<  resU  >1  in. 

I  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1840.     Welcome  I'   Brown  wasm)  opponent. 
In  thai   ninin.ral.l--  campaign,  we  gol   ap   i  monster  procession  and  wenl  from  hei 

We  had  .1  large  canoe,  hewn  oul  of  a  tn  e,  and  pal  on  w  heels,  and  in  it 
twelve  of  the  soldiers  of  the  war  <>f  1812.     The  canoe  was  drawn  by  twelvi 

stopped  in  all  the  towns  on  the  way — Mackinaw,  Tremonl  and  others     and  held 
tings  there,  and  the)  a.  od  ones,  too      Everybod)  turned  oul       I  don'l  know 

of  any  of  these  soldiers  nop  living. 

I  UK     II   I   IN.. I-    I    h  N  I  l:  \|      K  ULRO  ID. 

\t  the  time  of  fixing  the  location  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  in  1851,  I 
in  the  Senate.  There  I  mel  Robert  Rantoul,  and,  bj  an  arrangement  with  him,  I 
red  the  locatii  d  of  1 1 1 . -  road  within  five  miles  of  the  line  of  Town  22,  Rang 
which  brought  it  t..  within  two  miles  of  Bloomington,  and  on  the  same  lim  I1  catur 
and  Clinton.  The)  had  t..  build  fifty  mil.-  of  the  road  within  two  years  from  the  time 
they  obtained  the  charter, and  they  hnilt  that  fifty  miles  from  La  Salle  to  Bloomington 
There  was  1  great  pressure  brought  to  bear.  Thej  first  contemplated  building  the  r.>a<i 
firom  Cairo  ap  the  Wabash,  then  to  Galena;  then  again,  the)  were  \\..rk..l  upon  by 
another  element  t..  run  the  r<>a.l  by  another  line,  taking  in  Peoria  and  Springfield  ;  the 
strong  point  in  favor  of  the  last  proposed  route  was  that  they  would  hav<  ing  trade 

much  sooner  than  by  any  other  line  they  could  run.     It  was  true  they  would  n 

much  land,  but  the  increase  in  trade,  at  the  outside,  would  m.>r.'  than  pay  for  r  1  ■ . -  differei 

in  the  amount  of  land.     At  the  time  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  came  into  Blooming- 
ton,  we  had  a  population  of  2,500  inhabitants.     The  Chicago  \   Alton   Railroad  was 
built  from  Springfield  to   Bloomington  in   1854.     The  name  of  the  road  at  that  time 
<  Ihicago  &  Mississippi  Railroad. 

BANKING 

■I  commenced  banking  in   Bit ington  in   March,  1853.     The  charter  for  the 

McL  .11  Count)  Hank  was  obtained  in  March,  1853,  and  was  to  run  twentj  ti 
M  ,  partners  at  the  time  were  -I    Young  Scammon  and  •!    \    Bui  b,  but,  before  the  end 
oftn  I  owned  the  entire  stock.     Mj  deposits  for  the  first  five  years  were  about 

$200,000      The  next  thing  in  that  line  was  a  kiml  of  broker's  ..fli.-.'.  started  by  John 

1  11. 1  th.ir  place  of  business  was  where   Phosnii    Block   1 

But  the  next  regular  hank  that  m  blished  1  •  tb<    I.  Bank    south- 

corner  ..f  C  nter  and  Jeffi  rson  streets,  in  the  yt  ar  1  857.     In  the  first  place,  I  had 

Mi iri  State  bonds  but  thej  commenced  to  decline  and  I  exobanged  them  for  Illinois 

bonds  and  John   II.  Smith  held  on  to  lii-  and  lost  bj  it.     If  be  had 

•   I  them  when  I  did,  it  would  have  I n  bt  tter  for  bim.     The  amount  of  bank 

capita]  11  here  in    Bloomington   now  is  about   gSiio.oiHl      After  tin   3         Bank 


46 

broke,  we  had  wild-cat  banks,  and  plenty  of  them.  We  had  some  gold  and  silver,  but 
coin  did  not  circulate  very  much  at  that  time.  Out  of  one  hundred  banks,  ninety  of 
them  were  wild-cat.  All  that  many  of  these  banks  had  to  depend  on  to  keep  them 
running  was  their  deposits.  They  would  take  their  bank-bills  and  place  them  in  the 
hands  of  brokers  to  pay  out,  and  they  would  leave  their  bonds  as  security  ;  so,  in 
reality,  they  got  nothing,  and  the  brokers  made  all  the  money  there  was  made.  There 
was  a  man  by  the  name  of  Jones  who  owned  twelve  different  wild-cat  banks. 

JESSE    W.    PELL. 

"  He  came  to  Bloomington  a  year  later  than  I  did,  in  the  year  1832.  He  gave 
his  attention  to  the  practice  of  the  law  about  two  years  after  he  came  here,  after  which 
time  he  engaged  largely  in  land  operations,  becoming  interested  in  lands  in  the  county 
of  McLean,  and  also  in  the  county  of  Cook,  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  Chicago. 
If  he  had  continued  in  the  legal  profession  and  used  the  same  energy  that  he  did  in  his 
other  public  enterprises,  he  would  have  made  his  mark  among  the  legal  talent  of  the 
State  and  country.  A  man  of  indomitable  will,  thorough  business  qualifications,  fine 
intellect,  worthy  of  any  trust,  and  whom  I  have  known  now  forty  years  and  known  him 
intimately,  and  he  stands  without  a  blemish  or  blot  on  his  character  as  a  citizen  and 
friend.  ASHAEL  GRIDLEY." 

TOWNSHIP    ORGANIZATION. 

From  the  time  when  Blooming  Grove  was  a  part  of  Fayette  County,  till  some  time 
after  the  laying-out  of  the  town  of  Bloomington,  the  local  government  was  in  the  hands 
of  County  Commissioners,  aided  slightly  by  what  were  called  precinct  organizations. 
The  voting  was  done  by  precincts,  and  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  a  Constable  voted  for 
in  each,  after  the  year  1827 — and  these,  with  some  other  little  affairs,  were  attended  to 
at  the  elections — but  the  main  business  was  done  at  the  county  seat  by  the  Commission- 
ers. The  first  precincts  were  formed  in  Fayette  County  in  1826.  In  1831,  in 
McLean  County,  Blooming  Grove  Precinct  was  almost  one-quarter  as  large  as  the 
county  is  now.  It  then  contained  over  six  townships,  but  it  was  afterward  made  smaller. 
Voting  was  always  done  in  Bloomington,  after  1829,  even  after  the  organization  of  the 
village.  Then  when  the  city  was  formed  it  was  the  same — all  State  and  county  elections 
being  held  under  the  precinct  government.  Under  the  township  organization,  in  1858, 
and  ever  since,  it  has  continued  in  the  same  manner  down  to  the  present  time. 

In  1857,  township  organization  was  adopted  in  McLean  County,  and  the  new  town 
governments  were  set  in  motion  April  6,  1858.  The  new  system  was  inaugurated  by 
the  election  of  the  following  Board,  many  of  whom  are  historic  characters,  whose 
names  often  occur  in  our  annals :  Supervisor,  John  E.  McClun  ;  Assistant  Supervisor, 
David  Simons  ;  Collector,  John  L.  Routt,  recently  Governor  of  Colorado ;  Assessor, 
W.  H.  Hodge.  Mr.  John  N.  Larrimore  was  Town  Clerk,  and  filled  the  office  more  than 
twelve  years.  The  Justices  were  Z.  Lawrence,  S.  B.  Brown,  M.  H.  Hawks,  S.  Johnson 
and  Henry  S.  Herr.  The  Constables  were  John  W.  Allin,  John  W.  Haggard,  Alexan- 
der Steele,  James  Taffee  and  Norvel  Dixon.  This  system  of  town  government  has  con- 
tinued with  very  little  change,  down  to  the  present  time.  The  township  of  Bloomington 
now  elects  six  members  of  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors.  For  the  year  1879,  these 
are  Peter  Whitmer,  Supervisor ;  Assistants,  George  P.  Davis,  Duncan  M.  Funk,  W.  T. 
M.  Miller,  A.  Brokaw  and  Isaac  Lash.  In  1850,  the  total  population  of  Bloomington 
Township  was  1,554  ;  in  1860,  it  was  6,930 ;  in  1870,  it  was  14,590,  of  whom  3,898, 


IT 

nere,  and  then   were  235  ooloi  I       township,  outside  of  the  oitj 

limits,  bad,  in  1870,  1,829  inhabitants. 

township  is  sis  mi  ind  includes   di  irlj  •  '  what 

iiM-i  1  \  Blooming  Grove     The  city  of  B     mington  includes  only  about  four  ~. |iinr<  mi 
of  Bloomington  Township,  and  it  takes  in  also  about  •  o<   square  mile  from  thi  ■'\\> 

of  Normal     benoe,  we  find   the  name  Bloomington   applies  I  of  land — 

about  thirty-seven  square  miles  in  all,  bul  baa  a  different  meaning  when  ty, 

from  what  it  has  when  the  township  is  intended  t«>  be  understood  .  a  faet   thai   can 
oonsidi  rable  trouble  at  mir  different  elections. 

The  valuation  of  Bloomington  Township,  as  equalised  by  the  Count}  Board  in  Jufoj 
1  - .  0  196      This  ia  probably  one-half  of  the  actual  value,  assessments  being 

now  made  in  about  that  proportion.     This  valuation  includes  onlj  the  city  and  town 
sliip  as  found  lying  within  the  Biz-miles-square  territorial  township. 

The  County  School  Superintendent's  report  for  1878,  shows  a  total  ■  •  f " :  i « i  1  children 
enrolled  in  the  public  schools  of  this  township  outside  of  the  city.     Of  children  of 
»  hool  age,  und<  r  twenty-one  years  old,thereare761.  The  total  expenditures  for  the  schi 
for  the  Bame  p<  riod  w<  re  1 1  106.     The  township  school  fund  amounts  to  16,26  I.     Th< 
are  nine  district  schools,  and  the  sohoolhouses  are  valued  at  910,000.     Thomas  •!    Bunn 
is  Township  School  Treasurer.     Taxes  are  very  light  in  the   township,  bul  very  hea 
in  all  that  portion  which   lies  within  the  city  corporation  ;  and,  from  all   we  can  Irani. 
those  living  outside  of  the  city  limit>  arc  very  well  contented  with  township 
inisation,  which,  while  it  includes  also  the  city,  allows  the  city  Board  of  Education  t" 
manage  the  schools,  and  the  city  government  to  control  the  police  and  other  matb 

row  N    <»u    \  ii. I   \>.i     OEG  LNIZATION. 

Ii  has  been  impossible  to  learn  the  history  of  the  first  organisation  of  the  corpora 
tion   of   Bloomington.     The  original  town  site,  bounded  by   North,  Bast,    Weal  ana 
Front  >t r«  •  i  in  1-:)1   by  an  addition  platted  by  James  Allin  ;  and  oth 

additions,  to  the  number  of  over  fifty,  have  been  made  from  time  t"  time. 

A-  earlj    -  1838,  1 1 1<  r. -  was  a  town,  or,  more  properly,  a  vil  rganisation  of  all 

the  territory  included  in  the  original  town  and  its  additions,  with  a  Board  of  Trust* 
President  and  a  Clerk.     Seth  Hiker  was  President  in   1838.     There  was  an  ad  of  the 

-    -   relating  to  the  government  of  the  "town  of  Bloomington," 
and  this  act  was  afterward  amended,  with  a  proviso  that  it  Bhould  1"-  voted  upon  bj  tl 

pie  of  Bloomington.     This  was  done,  and  a   Board  of  Trustees  elected,  who  took 
their  ol  n  the   1-t  day  of  July,  1843.     A   full  record  of  their  procoedin 

kept  1..  Mi   :    •  I.   I        I,  who  was  the  Clerk,  an. 1  from  this  date  we  find  compl 

our  Citj   Clerk's  office      Bailej    II.  Coffey,  fid    H.  Hawks,  John  Blagoun, 
.1  T   Walton  and  William  Gillespie  were  the  Ti  Matthew  II.  Hawks  n 

choc  :i  President;   Wells  Coll  made  Attorney,  Joshua  H.  Harlan,  Treasurer, and 

William  McCullough,  Constable.     It  ap  bat   a  ■  at 

Ilia!     during    tie-    ;.■  BX     1  "  13  tl,.  p     Was  •■iii;. 

Tl,  ;  indicate  that  our  "city  fathers"  did  not  know  how  t<>  run  a  town  "n  tern 

principles  much  better  than  t! 
Wi  find  th  do  City  Hall  in  th<  ■   vember  £0, 1844,  the  I 

■  at  th<  A    .1    Merriman;    I'      mbei   24,  another   d  it   the 


48 

store  of  M.  H.  Hawks,  while,  May  14  of  the  next  year,  the  meetings  were  held  at  the 
County  Court  House.  In  the  year  1845,  the  total  amount  of  taxes  to  be  collected  for 
the  year  was  only  $82. 

In  1847,  the  Western  Whig  was  the  official  organ.  In  1848,  we  find  the  Trust- 
ees were  John  Foster,  John  N.  Ewing,  W.  G.  Thompson,  George  W.  Minier  and  C. 
P.  Merriman.  The  latter  gentleman  was  chosen  President,  and  A.  J.  Merriman,  Clerk 
and  Treasurer.  Mr.  George  W.  Minier,  then  teacher  of  a  seminary  or  select  school, 
now  living  at  Minier,  Tazewell  Co.,  111.,  was  village  President  in  1848,  and  John 
M.  Scott,  now  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  this  State,  was  the  Clerk.  An  election 
was  held  March  5,  1850,  "for  or  against"  incorporation  as  a  city.  There  were  164 
votes  for  the  city  charter,  and  26  votes  against.  This  might  be  taken  as  indicating  a 
small  population,  not  over  one  thousand,  but  there  must  have  been  a  light  vote,  as  we 
learn  that  at  a  census  taken  in  1850,  by  William  McCullough,-  the  total  number  of 
inhabitants  was  1,611. 

CITY    ORGANIZATION. 

After  the  varying  experience  of  precinct  and  town  or  village  governments,  the 
rapid  growth  of  Bloomington  required  for  its  proper  development  a  full  and  complete 
city  government  with  all  its  powers  and  capabilities,  and  in  1850  the  change  occurred. 
Rev.  David  I.  Perry  was  the  first  Mayor,  and  the  first  Aldermen  were  Jay  N.  Ward, 
Bailey  H.  Coffey,  William  Gillespie  and  E.  Thomas.  John  M.  Scott  was  City  Clerk 
and  Attorney.  The  succession  of  Mayor  and  Aldermen  has  continued  without  inter- 
ruption from  that  day  to  the  present.  Improvements  were  made  gradually  at  first, 
consisting  of  sidewalks  and  better  streets,  followed  soon  by  fire-engines,  street-lamps, 
police  and  the  numerous  conveniences  of  a  city  life.  The  city  of  Bloomington  pursued 
at  first  a  very  conservative,  economical  course.  Until  after  1866,  there  was  no  debt. 
All  improvements  were  paid  for  out  of  current  taxation.  Its  present  debt  of  $120,000 
is  mainly  in  8-per-cent  bonds,  two-thirds  of  it  being  the  cost  of  the  Water  Works.  The 
school  debt  is  managed  by  the  government  called  the  Board  of  Education,  which  is 
independent  of  the  City  Council. 

From  what  we  can  learn  of  the  history  of  our  city  government,  it  appears  to  have 
been  constantly  growing  in  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  public,  and  its  offices  were 
generally  filled  with  honorable  gentlemen. 

The  following  persons  were  elected  Mayor  in  the  year  placed  opposite  their  names : 


David  I.  Perry 1850 

Charles  P.  Merriman 1851 

John  H.  Wickizer 1852 

William  Wallace 1853 

John  W.  Evans 1854 

Franklin  Price 1855 

Franklin  Price 1856 

A.  J.  Merriman 1857 

A.  J.   Merriman 1858 

John  M.  Stilwell 1859 

H.  S.  Herr 1860 

George  W.  Parke 1861 

George  W.  Parke 1862 

A.  J.  Merriman 1863 

Joel  Depew 1864 


E.  H.  Rood 1865 

E.   H.  Rood 1866 

E.   H.  Rood 1867 

John  M.  Stilwell 1868 

John  M.  Stilwell 1869 

T.  J.  Bunn 1870 

B.  F.  Funk 1871 

B.  F.  Funk 1872 

B.  F.  Funk 1873 

B.  F.  Funk 1874 

B.  F.  Funk 1875 

E.  B.  Steere 1876 

T.  J.  Bunn 1877 

John  Reed 1878 

E.  B.  Steere 1879 


1 1 

The  present  memben  of  the  Citj  Coanoi]  :ir.     In  -t    Ward     Nelson  < 
term  expiree  1881;  Jonah    Richardson,  term  expiree    1880      !*      nd  Ward    -William 
c  ndon,  term  expiree   1881;   L.  Seibert,  term   expiree    1880.     Third   Ward     William 
\\    g  ii.  i .  mi  expiree  1881  .  Enoch  -I    Moon    term  Fourth  V\ 

Peter    Rockwell,  term  expiree    1881;   William    Maddux,  term  expin  Fifth 

i     Daniel   H<    irty,  term  expiree   1881;   Patrick    K  -  cth  Wm 

John  W.  Evane  term  expu  i  .   Prank  White,  term  expiree  1880.     The  following 

are  the   present      appointed"  officers  of  the  citj       Peter  Rockwell,  Acting  M 
B    hi.,    -    Attorney;  Samuel  W.  Waddle,  Clerk;  Charles  W    Robinson,  Treasurer ; 
Merchant,  Engineer  and  Commieeioner  ol    3id  I  i    0    ^.ndrus,  ■  Com- 

tuissiouei       M   rion   \    Chuse,  Chief  Engineer  Fire    Department   and  Superintendent 
i  Works;  John   Dawson,  Health  Commissioner;  Matt  C.  Smith,  Oil   Inspector; 
William  Clarke   City  Weigher;   William   Riebe,  Cit;    :        d;    A.dam  Guthrie,  Jamee 
\  rs ;    Sebastian   rlohman,  J.  B.  Chipman,  Collectors     Jamee  Stone, 

ial  Collector;    Elliott  S.  Miller,  Marshal     J.  P   Butler,  Captain  of  Night  Police; 
.1 .  E.  1!'  ut'"  \    S        int  of  Police. 

The  growth  of  Bloomington  is  plainly  shown  by  the  following  tabli 

taken  by  Allan  Wither* 18 

1836,       •  ■•       Allan  Withers ISO 

1846,  ••       .1.  B.  Parke 800 

0,       •  ••        William  MoCullough 1,611 

1865       ••  ••       i:   B   Mitchell 5,0 

1860,       ••  ••       John  D  B, 

1865         •  •       n    II.  Pike 10,000 

1868,       •■  Holland 14,980 

1870,  •       Holland 17,019 

1878,  ••       CityCounoil 20,100 

Th<  citj  records  have  been  kept  with  great  care  and  aoouracj  from  the  time  when 
His  II. hi.. i  John  M.  Scott,  was  Clerk,  in  I860,  to  the  present,  when  .Mr.  Samuel  W. 

.  lie  takes  care  of  the  books.     As  our  work  is  more  t<>  preserve  that  portion  of  our 
history  which  is  not  to  be  round  readily  accessible,  we  shall  leave  future  historians  most 
of  the  mine  of  information  that   is  in  the  city  records,  untouched  and  intact.     We 
might  refer  t.>  the  perfect  organization  of  our  City  Government,  every    part   <>f  whioh, 
like  a  jpnrii.ni  of  some  machine,  ie  adjusted  accurately  to  its  neighbor,  so  that  its  oj 
done  are  performed  with  scarcely  ajar.     The  annual  eleotion  brings  into  notice  a  littl.- 
racket  an. I  noise,  which  is  all  the  ■•iti/.-n-  generally  ever  hear  of  their  municipal 
eminent.     A.nd  yet,  the  doings  of  .>ur  city  police  and  magistrates  are  of  themselvi 
immense  importance,  while  the  fire  department,  the  engineering  service,  and  the  annual 

ndituree  on  pavements,  sewers  water  works  and  Btreets,  taken  together,  are  of  vastly 

[ucnce  than  a  large  majority  of  the  matti  i  led  in  1 1 » i  —  history  .  but,  as 

abovi  I,  the  records  of  th  eotlj  preserved  and  that 

we  have  ili<»u_'lii  best  to  confine  our  labors  mainly  <*"  tracing  ap  and  recording  incidents 

that  mLlit  otherwise  I 

~.  ii... .i  - 

\    sketch   of  the  I  "1  the   schools  "I    Bloomington   ie   incomplete 

makes  a  reference  to  ''  I    work  of  the   past   through   the   voluntary   channel! 

nd  n  minai 

D 


50 

It  seems  that  when  there  were  but  three  or  four  families  in  Blooming  Grove,  a 
school  was  started  in  1823,  by  John  W.  Dawson  in  his  own  house,  taught  for  two  termg 
by  Miss  Delilah  Mullen — the  first  teacher  in  McLean  County.  This  private  school  was 
followed  by  a  larger  one,  taught  by  W.  H.  Hodge  in  a  schoolhouse  built  by  subscription 
in  the  Orendorff  neighborhood,  and  for  many  years  the  greater  part,  in  most  cases  the 
whole,  of  the  teacher's  wages  in  this  State  was  paid  by  subscription.  W.  H.  Hodge 
taught  at  the  Grove  several  winters,  and  there  were  also  at  different  times  other  teachers 
at  the  same  place.  He  opened  a  school  in  Bloomington  village  in  1831  ;  taught  two 
weeks,  and  his  term  was  finished  by  A.  C.  Washburne.  For  years  after  this,  there  was 
a  combination  of  "  free  schools  "  and  "  pay  schools."  The  public  money  formed  the 
basis,  and  it  was  used  under  certain  conditions,  either  in  a  wholly  free  school,  or  in  one 
where  those  who  were  able  and  willing  paid  a  subscription  to  help  the  good  cause  along. 

These  free  schools  were  comparatively  unimportant,  however,  until  a  later  date,  the 
best  schooling  being  obtained  for  many  years  from  subscription  schools.  Mr.  A.  C. 
Washburne's  school  was  kept  up  until  1834,  when  Mr.  L.  Foster's  school  became  the 
leading  institution,  sometimes  called  "  High  School,"  often  "  The  Seminary."  Mr. 
Foster  built  a  schoolhouse  of  his  own,  and  is  entitled  to  a  high  position  among  our  early 
educators.  Foster's  Seminary  is  still  standing  in  this  city.  It  was  built  on  Taylor 
street,  second  door  west  of  Dr.  Hill's  residence.  Rev.  George  W.  Minier  followed  Mr. 
F.  in  1847,  and  he  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Finley,  of  Jacksonville.  Prof.  D.  Wilkins 
was  here  in  1852,  organized  a  Board  of  Trustees,  and  gave  the  institution  a  high-sounding 
name — "  The  Central  Illinois  Female  Seminary."  For  several  years  the  school  was 
•  quite  well  attended,  young  ladies  being  here  from  various  towns  and  cities  in  the  State. 
Prof.  Wilkins  purchased  the  Seminary,  and  was  teaching  there  as  late  as  1857. 

Miss  Parsons  kept  a  good  school  about  this  time,  for  the  training  of  young  ladies  ; 
and  there  were  at  various  dates  other  good  private  institutions  of  learning. 

Rev.  R.  Conover's  Bloomington  Female  Seminary,  a  Presbyterian  institution,  was 
for  a  long  time  a  power  in  Central  Illinois.  It  was  started  on  Grove  street  (where  the 
building  now  stands  as  a  residence)  in  1856,  and  continued  in  existence  sixteen  years. 
It  often  contained  as  high  as  ninety  pupils,  and  during  its  life  gave  instruction  to  over 
one  thousand  young  ladies.  It  was  an  institution  of  quite  a  high  order,  and  would  proba- 
bly have  been  sustained  permanently,  but  for  the  greater  efficiency  of  the  modern  pub- 
lic schools  as  compared  with  those  of  the  past. 

In  1856,  William  T.  Major  built  a  fine  building  in  the  north  part  of  town,  which 
was  used  for  several  years  as  a  Female  Seminary  of  the  Christian  denomination,  and  was 
a  flourishing  institution.  With  praiseworthy  liberality  this  noble  man  afterward  pre- 
sented the  whole  building  and  its  ample  grounds  to  the  Christian  denomination,  on  the 
sole  condition  of  its  being  managed  as  a  college.  The  attempt  was  made ;  but  from 
some  cause,  probably  because  of  the  rapid  increase  of  such  institutions,  the  college  was 
not  a  success,  and  it  reverted  to  Mr.  Major  or  his  heirs.  It  would  be  impossible  to 
mention  all  the  worthy  schools  and  seminaries  that  have  done  good  work  in  Blooming- 
ton, but  we  must  give  all  of  them  much  credit  for  what  they  have  accomplished.  At 
present,  there  are  several  small  private  schools.  The  largest  one,  the  Academy  of  St. 
Joseph,  taught  by  the  Sisters  of  St.  Domiuic,  under  the  charge  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
is  on  a  permanent  basis,  as  are  also  the  several  schools  maintained  by  our  German 
citizens. 


51 

There  an  th  G   rman  schools;  one  at  the  corner  of  West  and  Pronl  Btn 

ind  two  ni  the  southern  part  of  the  city. 

Por  several  years  is  to  1857,  th<    public  schools  bad  grown  t"  I f  • 

siderable  importanoe,  bul  they  were  still  in  their  infancy.     Tbej  formed  five  different 

sol I  districts  within  the  city  limits,  containing  aboal  1 1 1  r<  •«  •  hundred  pupils,  and  the 

schools  might  be  classed  as  "bad  and  indifferent,"  hard!)  rising  to  the  grade  of  "  good." 
On  the   Bth   d  ^pril,    lvo7.  these  districts  were  all   consolidated,  and  placed  in 

charge  of  the  nen  Board  "t'  Education,  and  from  that  day  the  pr  of  "ur  public 

schools  has  been  rapid  and  permanent 

The  first  charter  t"  establish  and  regulate  f  public  schools  in  the  eity  of 

B  tomington  was  granted  by  the   Legislature  of  the  State,   February  22    1857.     This 
charter  called  for  a  biennial  election  in  the  city,  by  the  qualified  electors,  of  a   Board  of 
Education  to  consist  of  seven  members.     The  charter  provided  for  such  an  election  to 
beld  "ii  the  first  Monday  in  April,  A   l>.  1857. 

\-  the  result  of  the  election,  the  following-named  gentlemen  wen  declared  by  the 
City  Council  to  constitute  1 1 1 .  -  first  Board  oftheoity:  C.  P.  Merriman  B  <>  War- 
riner,  O.  T.  !!■       -    E    B    Roe,  Eliel  Barber,  Samuel  Gallagher  and  Henry  Richardson. 

The  need  of  new  sol Ihouses  was  from  the  very  first  a  matter  of  consideration  by  t  he 

Board,  and  at   their  meeting  held   April    11.   1^.>7.  it  was  voted"  to  build  four  m 
Bohoolhouses  in  different  pan-  of  th.-  city,  for  th.-  accommodation  < •  t"  schools,  -..  mini, 
funds  sufficient  can  1 btained 

The  first  estimate  of  the  Board  to  th.'  City  Council  called  for  110,000,  wit), 
which  t..  erect  a  nevi  school-building,  and  $2,000  in  addition  to  tin-  general  school  fund 
to  defray  the  expenses  of  maintaining  the  schools  of  the  city.  \-  i  result  of  the 
request  for  this  estimate,  the  following  communication  was  sent  to  the  Hoard  by  the 
<  krancil  : 

Whkri  \-.   Tin-  Board  "t   Education  having  made  a  report  io  tlii-  Council,  demanding  >  levj 
i  five-mill  tai  t"r  -'lino!  purposes,  ami  it   being  the  opinion  of  tin-  Council  thai   -ail  1, 
burdensome  and  oppressive  tax  upon  the  people  al  tin-  present  time;  therefor 
Retolved,  That  it  is  ourbounden  duty  i"  respectfully  decline  an  ordei 

\- a  result  of  this,  the  Beard  of  Education  employed  Abraham  Lincoln  t,.  take 
the  in •>■•  --ar\  Bteps  to  procure  from  the  Circuit  Court  a  writ  of  mandamus  to  compel 
the  Council  t"  levy  the  tax  as  required  of  them  by  Section  8  of  the  School  Law.  The 
whole  matter  seems  to  have  been  amicably  settled,  however,  bj  the   Board  presenting  a 

memorial  to  the  Council  requesting  them  '"  ret Bider  the  action. 

In  the  year  1858,  the  first   permanent   Bchool-building   was  completed,  called  for 
i-  the  High  School   Building      It  is  in  the  Fourth  Ward,  and  its  -  ■ 

little  o       1 1'  was  thought  to  be  a  fine  structure  for  the  times  though  enlarged 

considerably  in  1870.     The  high  sohool  started  in  1857   was  taught  for  th.  first  year  in 
Wilkin-  Seminary,  bj   -l     \.  Johnson,  and  it  opened   in  the  new  building  in 

ght  by  B.  P  Clark.  The  next  year,  it  was  under  the  charge  of  II  M  Kellogg,  who 
met  his  death  in  l^til  in  one  of  the  \  icksburg  battles,  at  which  time  b<  n  -  I  in 
of  a  company  in  the  Thirty-third   Regiment    Illinois   Vulunu-i'rs      The  progress  ..f  th. 

high  scl 1  h  n  onward  and  upward  until  the  present  time.     It  i-  now  in  a 

fine  building  erected  in  I  ost  of  i         13 The  tii-t  graduating 

ted   of  two  members  in  1864,  while  that  of  1877  contained  over  thirty      An  art 

ir  LUNOa 

»    RY 


52 

of  the  Legislature,  accepted  by  vote  of  the  people  in  1865,  and  another  act  passed  in 
1866,  greatly  strengthened  the  Board  of  Education,  and  increased  the  public  interest. 

The  total  enrollment  of  pupils  in  the  public  school  in  the  year  1878  was  3,395. 
The  number  of  children  ascertained  to  be  in  the  whole  city  in  the  year  1879,  under  the 
age  of  twenty-one  years,  was  7,187.  Number  of  teachers  in  the  public  school,  63.  Total 
disbursement  for  schools  for  the  year  ending  April  1,  1879,  was  $65,314.  The  cost 
of  the  school-buildings,  apparatus,  furniture  and  grounds  has  been  over  $228,000, 
worth  now,  probably,  a  little  more  than  the  present  outstanding  school  debt,  which  is  in 
the  neighborhood  of  $100,000.  The  present  Board  of  Education  consists  of  Jacob 
Jacoby,  A.  E.  Stevenson.  F.  M.  Funk,  E.  H.  Rood,  T.  J.  Bunn,  J.  H.  Rowell  and 
Miss  Georgiana  Trotter.  Miss  Sarah  E.  Raymond  is  Superintendent.  The  first  Super- 
intendent was  D.  Wilkins,  1857  to  1859;  in  1859,  Gilbert  Thayer;  in  1860,  Ira  J. 
Bloomfield  ;  1861,  no  superintendent ;  1862,  C.  P.  Merriman  ;  1863,  J.  H.  Burnham  ; 
1864,  John  Monroe;  1865  to  1867,  John  F.  Gowdy;  1867  and  1868,  A.  H.  Thomp- 
son ;  1868  to  1872,  S.  M.  Etter  ;  1872  to  1874,  S.  D.  Gaylord;  1874  to  the  present 
time,  Miss  Sarah  E.  Raymond. 

Besides  the  large  school  edifices  called  respectively,  First,  Third,  Fourth,  Fifth 
Ward  and  the  High  School  buildings,  there  are  several  of  less  value  in  different  places, 
making  in  all  provision  for  most  of  the  children  who  need  schooling.  Bloomington 
expends  a  very  large  sum  of  money  for  public  education,  and  it  behooves  her  citizens  to 
look  well  to  the  management  of  the  ample  fund  annuallv  disbursed.  The  city  stands 
upon  record  as  being  one  of  the  first  in  this  State  to  admit  a  lady  as  a  member  of  its 
Board  of  Education,  Miss  Georgiana  Trotter  having  been  elected  four  years  ago.  Miss 
Raymond,  the  efficient  Superintendent  of  our  city  schools,  was  one  of  the  first  ladies  in 
Illinois  to  fill  such  a  position.  Our  churches,  our  public  schools  and  our  higher 
institutions  of  learning  are  all  well  worthy  of  the  pride  of  our  citizens. 

CHURCHES    THAT    HAVE    DISSOLVED. 

There  have  been  almost  innumerable  attempts  made  in  Bloomington  to  establish 
churches  and  religious  societies  by  the  different  sects  represented  in  the  United  States. 
People  have  arrived  here  from  all  the  regions  under  the  sun,  apparently,  and,  on  their 
arrival,  have  commenced  looking  around  for  the  religious  denomination  to  which  they 
were  most  attached.  It  would  be,  indeed,  interesting  could  we  furnish  a  full  list  of  the 
different  churches  that  have  attempted  to  obtain  a  foot-hold.  Even  the  Mormons  have 
been  represented,  and  at  one  time  published  a  weekly  newspaper  here,  printed  at  the 
Pantagraph  office,  edited  by  Mr.  Haldeman,  who  has  since  moved  to  the  State  of  Mis- 
souri. This  journal  was  an  organ  of  the  Latter-Day  Saints,  or  sect  opposed  to  the  Salt 
Lake  Mormons!  It  is  impossible  to  obtain  a  full  history,  even  of  those  churches  now 
in  existence  here,  and  we  do  not  pretend  to  anything  more  than  a  mere  outline  or  sketch, 
and  shall  be  well  satisfied  if  we  have  made  a  few  footsteps  that  shall  lead  in  the  direc- 
tion we  should  like  to  travel.  We  will  take  a  little  space  for  mention  of  churches  that 
have  been  formed  and  afterward  given  up  their  organizations,  as  these  have  had  a  share 
in  the  great  work  of  Christianizing  our  community. 

While  the  Presbyterian  Church  is  the  home  of  the  large  element  known  as  the 
Orthodox  Congregationalists,  there  was  a  time  when  a  flourishing  church  of  that  denomi- 
nation was  in  existence.     As  early  as  1842,  the  Congregationalists  had  built  a  church 


at  the  norths  rnerof  Washington  and  Madison  streets,  and  from  thai  time  t"  ' 

quite  powerful  in  the  city.     In  1858,  they  bail)  a  new  church  at  the  northet 
Wesl  and  Washington,  irhiob,  nnder  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  L.Taylor  ry  flour 

ishing.     In  the  hard  times  following,  thej  were  unable  to  paj  a  mortgage  on  their  pro|  • 
and  l"«t  their  house  of  worship,  which  was  purchased  in  1865  by  1 1  * « -  Episcopalian 

The  Congregationalism  again  i  ized  in  1 873,  worshiped  in  a  public  hall,  but, 

after  tw<  trial,  again  ip  the  undertaking. 

era!   years,  the   Refon 1    Presbyteriana  owned  a  church  on    Front 

where  is  now  the  residence  of  Mr   I    I!    Crum;  but,  owing  to  the  removal  from  the 
<iiv  of  quite  a  rtion  of  their  membership,  and  for  other  their  organisa- 

tion disapp  M' -I  over  ten  j •  its  ago. 

The  Universalists  had  a  church-building  on  Fronl  street,  and  kept  up  their  society 
pal  years,  during  which  quite  a  number  of  our  m.  .-t   prominent   citizens  were 
members  of  the  organization.     Rev.  I'.  .1    Brigjis  waa  the  minister  in  charge  for  some 
time,  and  is  Mill  lisin-  in   Bloomington.     Man)  of  its  members  went   into  the   I  pee 
1  itional   Church,  and  others  have  become  connected  with  different  ohnrchi 

moved  from  the  city. 

For  several  years,  the  Methodists  kept  up  an  organized  church  called  the  Wesl 
Chargi       Tli'  \  had  a  pleasant  house  of  worship  at  the  south  rnerof  Washington 

and  West  streets.     After  several  years'  trial,  during  a  part  of  which  time  the  Church 

very  flourishing,  it  was  discovered  that  the  interests  of  1 1 » •  -  denomination  n 

Bubserved  by  onlj  on 'ganization,  and  the  building  was  sold,  t"  be  taken  down  and 

N       Rutland,  on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad. 

In  the  year  1868,  there  was  a  church  society  that  worshiped  in  Phoenix  Hall, 
under  the  charge  of  Rev.  Dr.  Reed,  :i  very  excellent  minister  of  the  Southern  Meth- 
odist Church  ;  but  the  project  of  erecting  a  building  was  abandoned. 

I  first  Christian  Church  was  erected  on  Bast  Btreet,  in  the  rear  of  Major's 
Hall,  and  for  a  time  after  the  present  church  was  erected,  there  were  two  Christian 
Churches  in  the  city,  both  of  which  appeared  quite  powerful.     About  the  year   I 

the  two  became  merged  in  the  present   ohuroh,  and  the  old  one  was  Bold  to 
the  German  Lutherans,  and  now  stands  at  tin-  corner  of  Madison  and  Olive  streets. 

( »nr  sketch  merely  dint-  at  a  few  of  the  attempts  that  have  been  made  to  organize 
different  churches  in   Bloomington.     In  fact,  we  have  no  doubt  these  sectarian  efforts 
could  be  numbered   bj    scor<  b,  and,   if  all   were   hunted   np  and  catalogued,    a 
interesting  chapter  would  !»■  the  result     We  have  referred  t<>  a  few  in  order  to  bring 
prominently  before  our  readers  th.'  tact  that  strenuous  efforts  1  n  mad.-  to  culti- 

the  religious  field.     Of  the  ■_' 1  seed   planted  in  the  pa  ire  proud  U 

the  evidences  of  the  proper  maturing  of  a  fair  proportion. 

I  III  &<  III  9. 

It  U  impossible  to  n  a  tolerably  correct  Bketch  of  the  different  church 

this  city.     In  man;.  the  history  of  these  institutions  has  not  been  pn  and 

then   there  hav<    been    such  suspensions,   consolidations,   divisions   and 

-  that  we  d«  spair  of  doing  justice  to  tin-  great  subject.     We  give  meri  l\    i 

fragments,  beseeching  thi  charit)  ami  good-will  of  all  who  have  ever  attempted  work  of 

this  ohara  The  founders  of  HI nington  left   do  effort  untried  to  affect  favorably 


54 

the  morals  and  religion  of  this  community.  From  their  little  means,  needed  so  much 
for  daily  wants  and  improvements,  they  freely  gave  liberally  toward  building  and  sup- 
porting churches.  They  were  inspired  with  zeal  in  the  cause  of  the  Master,  were  aided 
by  the  most  active  and  self-denying  ministry,  and  could  see  a  promise  of  better  days 
when  the  town  should  become  more  fully  peopled  with  families  of  wealth  and  culture. 
Each  denomination  made  great  efforts  for  supremacy.  All  were  equally  active,  and  at 
this  time  we  see  the  good  results  of  the  hard  labors  of  the  early  Christians. 

The  pioneer  of  Christianity  in  this  locality,  was,  of  course,  the  Methodist  Church. 
Mr.  John  Hendrix,  who  came  to  Blooming  Grove  in  1822,  was  a  consistent,  devoted 
Methodist,  and  for  a  long  time  his  house  was  the  preachiug-place  of  the  neighborhood. 
It  appears  he  invited  Rev.  James  Stringfield,  who  was  visiting  at  Randolph  Grove,  from 
Kentucky,  and  this  gentleman  preached  the  first  sermon  in  the  limits  of  the  town 
of  Bloomington,  in  1823,  at  Mr.  Hendrix's  cabin.  Some  think  that  Rev.  Jesse 
Walker,  the  regular  supply  of  the  Peoria  Circuit,  should  be  entitled  to  the  honor  of 
preaching  the  first  sermon,  he  having  preached  at  Mr.  Hendrix's  house  in  1824.  Bloom- 
ing Grove  was  made  a  preaching-place,  in  Peoria  Mission,  as  early  as  1824,  during 
which  year,  at  the  house  of  John  Hendrix,  the  first  Methodist  class  was  formed,  which 
contained  about  ten  members.  This  class  was  the  Methodist  Church  of  Blooming 
Grove,  for  several  years.  In  1831,  preaching  was  commenced  in  the  then  new  village 
of  Bloomington,  at  the  schoolhouse  at  the  corner  of  Olive  and  Main  streets,  where  the 
marble-shop  now  stands.  Rev.  William  Crissey  preached  here  in  November,  having 
previously  delivered  at  least  one  sermon  in  the  limits  of  Bloomington,  which  was  on  the 
9th  of  October.  1831.  There  appears  to  have  been  a  class  organized  here  in  Bloom- 
ington about  the  close  of  1831,  and  until  the  year  1837,  Bloomington  and  Blooming 
orrove  were  two  distinct  charges,  when,  under  Rev.  S.  W.  D.  Chase,  they  were  united. 
The  two  charges  united  in  building  a  church  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Olive  and  Main 
streets,  in  1836,  when  a  plain  building,  32x44  feet  was  built,  under  the  charge  of  Rev. 
Zadoc  Hall.  Methodism  grew  and  prospered  at  this  location,  until  the  year  1851,  when 
the  brick  church,  corner  of  Washington  and  East  streets,  was  finished.  This  was  a  very 
large  church  for  the  times.  Thomas  Williams  was  contractor.  This  was  occupied  by 
the  denomination  from  that  date  until  1875.  About  1870,  it  bec:tme  apparent  that  this 
building  was  altogether  inadequate  for  the  accommodation  of  the  rapidly-increasing  con- 
gregation, and  plans  were  made  for  the  construction  of  the  present  church-building. 
On  September  29,  1873,  the  corner-stone  was  laid  with  imposing  ceremonies,  under  the 
direction  of  Bishop  Wiley,  of  St.  Louis.  In  October,  1875,  the  basement  auditorium 
was  completed,  and  appropriate  dedication  exercises  were  conducted  by  prominent  minis- 
ters from  this  and  other  States,  in  the  presence  of  an  immense  congregation.  As  an 
example  of  Methodist  liberality,  89,000  were  raised  by  subscription  in  less  than  two 
hours,  at  these  exercises.  This  magnificent  church-edifice,  as  it  now  stands,  completed, 
is  one  of  the  beauties  of  Bloomington ;  it  is  a  model  of  architectural  symmetry  and  beauty. 
The  main  auditorium  is  a  spacious  room,  easy  of  access,  with  seating  capacity  for  1,250. 
It  is  handsomely  decorated  with  appropriate  designs.  The  basement  auditorium  is  con- 
veniently arranged,  neatly  finished  and  has  seating  capacity  for  700.  In  addition  to 
these,  there  are  classrooms  and  various  other  apartments  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
communicants.  The  society  has  recently  purchased  and  placed  in  position  an  immense 
organ.     It  is  the  largest  in  the  State,  outside  of  Chicago.     The  total  valuation  of  the 


church  building  ind  !"•  u|      The  total  member ■ 

ship  1 1-  ;  Mr.  Mel 

Th<    I  nivereitj   Methodist   Churol  uised   October  7.  I  si  .        I     ■     -lii|p> 

in  the  chapel  of  th<    I  niv<  n  i  Bm    m,  with  capucit}    for  800,  "r  with  t h<- 

lery,  wkioh  can  I"   used  if  needed,  an  audi  1,500  rhere 

n  250  church-membera       Rei    J     \.  Kumler  is  th<    Pastor  in   cl  This 

Church  mvenieuoe  to  the  laj  population  in  the  north  pari  of  th 

v  to  tli<-  students  of  the  c 
The  German   Metl  Church  is  well  established;    i-  situated  on  Cei 

.  M   rket     it  was  orgauiied  in  1854, bj  Dr  .1   Schmidt,  of  Quincy,  111 
one  of  the  earliest  of  any  of  the  German  organizations  of  Bloomington.       K 
II    Thomas  is  Pastor,  and  there  an    1  10  members 

'I'll.    \  Methodist  Church  is  on   North    Centei  (tvi  uized  in 

1847,  bj  Rev.  1'    II    Ward,  and  contains   100  membera.      It-   ftral  ohurch-edifice  was 
built  in  1848,  and,  in  1859,  it  was  removed   to  the  Bide  of  the  lot   sod   has  rince  I 

\  nen  church  was  l.nilt   in  that   rear,  which  was  considerably 
enlarged  in  1871.      I'-  jabout$3,000      R       C.S.J         j  is  the  Pastor  in  cli 

The  Firei  Pi  sbyterian  Church  was  organised  January  26,  I  *•.;:;.  bj  th<    B       I 
viu  \\     Babbett.     It-  house  of  worship  was  qoI  I   until   about    1840,  when   the 

lion  between  the  Old  and  New  Schools  occurred.    This  Church  was  attached  to  the  Old 

Scl I,  though  it  \sa-  not  until  L855  thai  :i  New  School  Church  was  formally  organized. 

Church  has  been  th<-  parent  of  Orthodox  Congregationalism  and    I 

byterianism  in  Bloomington.     At  least  three  different  churches  have  sprung  from  this 

organisation,  though  only  one  has  become  permanent      During  the  pastorate  of  the 

II    R    I'm-    an  addition  was  made  to  the  old  building,  and   its  Beating   capacity 

increased  t..  about  ti\<-  hundred      When  the  <M<1  and   New  Schools  were  united   a  few 

First  Church  took  the  title  to  which  it  was  entitled  by  seniority.      P 
many  years,  it  was  known  i-  the  Old-School  Presbyterian  Church  of  Bloomington,  and 
-  i  pioneer  in  deed  aid  in  truth'.      The   R  i    J,  B.  Thayer  Lb  the  present    Pastor  of 
the  huroh. 

The  First  Church,  inally  built,  was  quite  small.     In  1855,  the  rapid  growth 

..t  the  city  mad<  i  mon  churches,  and  on  the  11th  of  January,  1855,  the 

-  bool  or  Second    Presbyterian  Church  ••  mized,  in    Major's    Hall,  oornei 

d    and  E  This  hall  was  at   that  time  in  the  third   story,  sinoe  rem 

and  ai'l  pleasant.     R       Ufred  Eddy  was  th     Past  ir       1 1 . •  r« • .  the  con- 

itiou  worshiped  until  about  the  time  the  building  was  used  by  thi    9         \  irmal 
I  niversity,  in  tin-  fall  of  1857       In  1850,  the   Church  comi  I  tlnir  new  hous 

ship,  whioh  was  finished  in  \*~>1.     It.-  total  cost  has 
the  recent  addition,  which  has  increased  its  seating  capacitj  Tlii-  Church 

•  rtunate  in  it-  I  had  but  four  different   ministers  in  th 

of  the  twenty-four  years  of  it-  life.     Originally  of  tl      N       School,  it  has  non 
the  Secund  Presbyterian      Tin-   L'liurcli    :  .  lair  proportion  of  th 

tion,  talent  :m>l  wealth  of  the  oit)  and  may  be  called  established      I  P    tor  i* 

the  Ret    .1    W    Dinsm 

Third  Presbyteriai  died   the   North   Church,  *  \|.m' 

L875      Their  fa  worship  is  on  I  >-■    L  Nl   in,  ind 


56 

comfortable  and  tasteful  building.     The  value  of  church  property,  including  I. millings 

and  LTnuinIs  is  nearly  SIu.hihi.     Tlie  inenibership  is  between  seventy  and  one  hundred. 

The  Baptist  is  one  of  the  pioneer  churches,  haying  been  organised  in  L837.   About 
this  time,  their  first  church-building  was  erected  upon  tw<»  lots  donated  by  James  Allin. 
at  the  northeasl  corner  of  North  and  West  star     -     iflerward,  moved  toMadisoD  betw< 
Fronl  and  Grove,  where  the  church  used  it  several  year-.     In  1 857,  the  large  building 
at  the  corner  of  Madison  and  Jefferson,  now  occupied  by  the  society,  was  commenced, 
ami  bo  far  completed  as  to  be  used  in  part  in  the  year  1858.     The  old  church  on  Smith 
Madison  was  sold  to  the  German  Turners,  who  now  use  it  as  a  hall.     The  present  mem- 
bership of  the  Baptist  Church  is  about  550,  and  during  its  existence,  over  1,600  persons 
have  been  members.     The  pastors  of  this  church  have  taken  a  leading  place  in  the  his- 
tory of  Bloomington,  and   one  of  them,  Rev.  H.  J.  Eddy,  was  Chaplain  of  the  Thirty- 
third  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers.     The  membership  has  always  been  among  our  best 
inhabitants,  and  their  zeal  and  devotion   to  the  cause  of  their  Master  have  been  remark- 
able.     At  one  time  this  Church  maintained  two  mission   Sabbath  schools,  one  of  which, 
the  West  Mission,  has  now  developed  into  a  German    Baptist  Church,  with  a  settled 
pastor.    It  i>  located  at  1,302  West  Locust  street.     Rev.  Henry  Wernicke  is  the  Pastor; 
it   contains   thirty-three   members.     The  South    Mission  is  on    Boone  street,  between 
Hardin  and  Fremont,  and  is  sustained  by  the  Baptist  Church.     The  present  Pastor  of 
the  Baptist  Church  is  Rev.  0.  B.  Stone.      This  Church  assisted   in   the    organization  of 
Mount  Pisgah  Baptist  Church   |  colored ),  which  was  started  in  1866.     Its  first  Pastor 
was  the  Rev.  Thomas  Reasoner.  Its  place  of  worship  is  on  South  Lee  street,  where  it  p  - 
a  comfortable  church,  erected  in  18n'9.     Rev.  Mr.  Harrison  i-  it-  present  Pastor, 
ami  there  are  between  ninety  and  one  hundred  member- 

The  Christian  Church,  comprising  the  followers  of  Alexander  Campbell,  with  others 
of  similar  views,  is  also  a  pioneer,  having  been  organized  in  1839;  and,  like  its  prede- 
cessors,  the  Baptist  and  Presbyterian,  was  organized  in  the  old  Foster  Seminary  on  Hast 
Olive  street.  Its  first  house  of  worship  was  built  in  the  hard  times  of  1841,  on  Fast 
street,  in  the  rear  of  Major's  Block.  William  T.  Major  was  its  first  Pastor.  About  the 
year  ls5ti.the  present  Christian  Church  building,  at  the  coiner  of  West  and  Jefferson,  was 
erected:  and,  for  a  time,  there  were  two  rigorous  Christian  Churches  existing  in  ibis  city. 
Before  the  year  18G4,  the  two  churches  were  united;  the  old  church  was  sold  to 
tin  Lutherans;  removed  by  them  to  the  corner  of  olive  and  .Madison  ;  and  the  united 
Christian  Church  has  become  one  of  the  most  powerful  in  the  city.  It  is  one  of  the 
leading  churches  of  this  denomination  in  the  West.  It  is  now  under  char.;,  of  Dr.  A  I. 
Bobbs.  olive  Mission,  corner  of  South  Grove  and  Vine  streets,  is  in  charge  oft  hi-  Church. 
Outside  of  the  city  there  are  two  churches  of  tin-  denomination.  Grass}  Rid 
Christian  Church,  organized  1854,  i>   near  the  south  lit f  the  township,  under  the 

charge  of  Rev  Mr  I  Jerry,  who  also  has  the  care  .if  t  he  church  at  Shirley.  The  GraSBJ 
Ridge  Church  has    about  seventy  member-.       Blooming  Grove   Christian    Church    ha 

neat  building,  erected  in  1-7:;.  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,300.  It  is  in  the  Coi  and  Oren- 
dorfl  neighborhood,  the  true  historic  center  of  Bloomington,  at  the  east  aide  of  Blooming 
(irove.     Its  members  number  about  one  hundred. 

The  Free  Congregational  Church  was  organized  August  14,  1859.  Among  its 
fust  members  we  find  the  names  of  Jesse  W  Fell,  K.  II.  Fell,  C.  Wakefield,  E.  Bar- 
ber, Robert   Thompson,  W.    Perry,  F.   K     Phoenix,  II.    N.    Pearse,  Jesse   Bishop,   B. 


57 

M.  Prince.  C.  P.  Merriman,  John  L.  Routt,  M.  Pike,  0.  Barnard,  Francis  Barnard. 
William  Rowley  and  others.  These  gentlemen  were  willing  to  unite  in  a  declaration 
of  views  which  committed  the  new  society  to  the  platform  of  Liberal  Christianity. 
Though  cot  strictly  a  Unitarian  Church,  it  comes,  perhaps,  nearer  to  that  denomination 
than  any  other.  The  church-building  is  owned  by  stockholders  in  rather  a  different 
manner  from  the  method  which  is  most  common.  Rev.  Charles  G-.  Ames,  of  Minne- 
apolis, Minn.,  was  the  first  minister.  He  was  a  man  of  great  force  and  power.  He 
has  been  succeeded  generally  by  able  men.  Probably  about  four  hundred  people  attend 
this  Church.  The  church-edifice  was  erected  about  the  year  1806;  it  will  seat 
nearlyfive  hundred  persons.  Its  present  Pastor  is  the  Rev.  J.  S.  Thompson. 
St.  .Matthew's  Episcopal  Church  was  organized  July  31,1853.  In  1857,  a  lot  was 
purchased  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Prairie  and  Jefferson  streets,  and  plans  were 
adopted  for  a  church,  but  the  financial  crisis  of  that  year  was  the  reason  for  abandoning 
the  enterprise  and  the  lot  was  sold.  After  worshiping  in  different  halls,  the  parish 
purchased  in  1865,  the  old  Congregational  Church,  corner  of  West  and  Washington. 
In  July,  1874,  the  Vestry  purchased  the  lot  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Jefferson  and 
Prairie  streets,  where,  in  the  year  1870,  the  present  fine  structure  was  erected.  The 
building  will  cost  when  completed,  about  $20,000.  There  are  about  one  hundred  and 
sixty  communicants  of  the  Church,  and  the  congregation  will  number  about  four  hun- 
dred.    The  church  is  large  enough  to  seat  about  six  hundred  persons. 

The  German  Lutheran  (Trinity)  Church  is  at  the  corner  of  Olive  and  Madison. 
About  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  families — all  of  them  among  the  most  worthy  and 
industrious  of  our  citizens — attend  upon  the  ministrations  of  the  Pastor,  Rev.  E. 
Riedel.  A  day  school  has  been  connected  with  this  Church  much  of  the  time  since 
its  organization  in  1858. 

The  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  is  newly  established,  having  erected  its  house 
of  worship  at  804  West  Olive  street,  in  the  summer  of  1877.  Its  Pastor  is  the  Rev. 
P.  J.  Brodine.  The  regular  membership  is  about  eighty.  The  Church  was  organized 
December  8,  1872.  with  thirty-eight  members.     It  joined  the  Augustan  Synod  in  1873. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  was  organized  in  1855  by  Father  Bernard  O'Hara 
It  was  called  Holy  Trinity — now  the  Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception.  At  first 
it  purchased  and  used  the  old  M.  E.  Church,  corner  Olive  and  Main  streets,  but  it  very 
rapidly  outgrew  its  accommodations. 

In  1869,  a  new  building  was  being  erected  at  the  site  of  the  present  cathedral, 
when  a  gust  of  wind,  nearly  equal  to  a  tornado,  leveled  the  structure  to  the  earth.  Its 
walls  were  up  and  the  roof  on,  and  the  damage  was  over  $20,000.  Undaunted,  the 
congregation  persevered  with  the  work  on  a  much  more  expensive  plan,  and  now  have 
the  satisfaction  of  worshiping  in  an  elegant  building,  which,  when  finished,  with  its 
208-feet-liigh  spire  and  everything  as  designed  by  the  architect,  it  will  be  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  ornaments  of  which  Bloomington  can  boast. 

The  new  cathedral  is  a  magnificent  piece  of  architecture,  in  the  Romanesque  style. 
[te  dimensions  are  213  feet  in  length  and  80  feet  in  width.  The  estimated  cost,  when 
fully  completed,  is  about  $150,000.  It  will  be  one  of  the  finest  cathedrals  in  all  Illi- 
nois. For  several  years  back,  the  society  has  occupied  the  basement  auditorium  as  a 
temporary  place  of  worship,  but,  within  the  past  year,  the  outer  walls  have  been  com- 
pleted and  the  roof  placed  in  position,  thus  inclosing  the  main  audience-room.     This  is 


58 

a  spacious  apartment,  213  feet  in  length,  80  feet  in  width,  and  52  from  the  floor  to  the 
ceiling.  It  is  provided  with  a  large  octagonal  chancel  and  two  large  galleries.  It  will 
have  ample  seating  accommodation  for  2,500  persons.  Father  McDermott  is  in  charge 
of  the  Church.  The  total  number  of  members  of  this  Church,  with  their  families,  is 
not  far  from  six  thousand. 

The  German  Catholic  Church  was  built  about  the  year  1871.  It  is  situated  on 
North  Water  street,  which  is  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  city.  W.  J.  Revis  is 
in  charge.  This  is  a  growing  Church.  It  is  known  as  St.  Mary's  German  Catholic 
Church. 

BLOOMINGTON    SABBATH    SCHOOLS. 

At  the  time  Bloomington  was  first  settled,  Sabbath  schools  were  a  new  thing  all 
over  the  country.  Like  the  temperance  movement,  it  was  not  quite  clear  whether  they 
were  to  be  an  educational  improvement  mainly,  or  to  partake  of  a  moral  as  well  as  of  a 
religious  character.  The  conservatism  of  the  community  naturally  arrayed  itself  against 
Sabbath  schools,  as  against  everything  that  was  new  and  novel,  and  the  labors  of  the 
originators  of  these  institutions  were,  at  times,  severe  as  well  as  unappreciated.  We 
have  requested  a  statement  on  this  subject,  which  was  kindly  furnished  by  that  veteran 
in  the  good  cause,  Mr.  A.  C.  Washburne : 

"  April  8,  1832,  I  went  to  the  schoolhouse  (a  log  cabin)  to  attend  Sabbath  school, 
agreeable  to  an  appointment  made  by  Mr.  Latta,  a  local  preacher  of  the  Methodist  order. 
But  few  were  present.  A  question  arose  as  to  the  manner  of  conducting  the  school. 
Previous  to  this,  for  a  short  time,  a  gentleman  of  intelligence,  but  not  a  professor  of 
religion,  had  met  a  few  children  on  the  Sabbath,  and  instructed  them  in  reading  and 
singing.  Some  desired  a  school  of  a  more  decided,  religious  character,  while  others  pre- 
ferred the  present  arrangement.  A  meeting  was  appointed  for  Monday  night  to  settle 
this  question. 

"  April  9.  Meeting  was  held,  agreeable  to  notice,  and,  as  a  result,  I  was  appointed 
Superintendent,  and  the  entire  management  of  the  school  placed  in  my  hands. 

"April  15.  Commenced  a  Sabbath  school  upon  strictly  religious,  but  not  secta- 
rian, principles.  For  some  months  I  had  no  assistance,  and  the  attendance  of  pupils 
was  from  twenty  to  thirty.  At  length,  I  obtained  the  assistance  of  two  young  ladies, 
Misses  Durley  and  Kinder,  who  did  efficient  work  in  the  school.  To  show  the  state  of 
society  at  that  time,  permit  me  to  say  that  the  employment  of  these  ladies  in  the  school 
caused  considerable  low  gossip  in  town,  although  they  belonged  to  respectable  families, 
and  were  of  irreproachable  character. 

u  I  continued  this  school  until  the  spring  of  1833,  when,  about  to  visit  the  East,  I 
left  it  in  charge  of  Mr.  McGeoh,  a  Presbyterian  clergyman,  who  had  recently  located  in 
Bloomington.  I  returned  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  and  found  the  school  broken  up, 
Mr.  McGeoh  having  died  in  my  absence.  Very  soon  I  made  arrangements  to  revive 
the  school,  and  have  it  meet  at  our  residence,  as  the  most  convenient  place  for  the  win- 
ter. With  the  assistance  of  my  wife,  we  had  what  was,  to  me,  a  very  interesting 
school. 

''  When  I  returned  from  the  East,  I  brought  out  a  second-hand  library,  and  the 
books  were  read  with  avidity.  One  bright-eyed  little  girl  took  a  book,  and,  on  return- 
ing it,  was  asked  if  she  had  read  it  through.  She  replied,  '  0  yes ;  I  read  it  through  a 
Jbtap  of  times.' 


Iii  thi  spring     •    1 834,  the  Rei    I.    Poster  tod  wife  located  in  Bloomington,  and 
I      -.<•  the  Behool  int"  their  l>  inda.     Daring  the  summ<  r-  of  .w;i\ 

•  ufthe  time.     In  the  spring  of  I -•"••>.  I  «  in  chosen  Superintendent, 

ohargeofthi  >>-Iim,,|  for  tn  Daring  this  time,  the  ami  colored  ramih  having 

children  of  suitabli  ttend   school,  Bottled  in  town       I    invited  them  into  thi 

school,  which  caused  quite  :i  little  exoitemenl  I  could  gel  no  one  to  teach  them 
therefore  1  'li<l  it  myself,  giving  ;ill  the  time  to  them  I  could  spare  from  other  >1 

Prejudice  against  them  was  so  hi'_'l>  that  some  left  the  sol 1.  bul  I  >1"  not  think  it  sua 

tained  any  greai  !■ 

••In  the  spring  of  L838       M      B  rbour  was  chosen  Superintendent.     In   ! 

Methodists  organized  a  denominational  school,  which  drew  large  numbers  from  the 

other,  whieh  hail  up  to  this  time  been  called  a  nnion  sol I.  although  managed  mostly 

by   Presbyterians.     Prom  tlii-  time  forward,  the  old  organization  took  on  a  denomi- 
national character,  and,  with  Blight   interruptions,  has   I  ntinued  to  the  pn 
time— 187  l     so  that  the  Sabbath  school  of  the  old  First  Presbyterian  Church  maj  right- 
fully claim  direct  lineal  descent  from  the  first  Sabbath  school  organized  in  Bloomington 
Thus,  from  a  vet}  small  beginning  it  has  grown,  I  trust,  to  a  healthful, 
ing,  institution  for  the  promotion  of  religious  Icnowledj 

■a  c  VVASHB1  i;m 
Prom  and  after  this  time,  or  from   1839,  all  the  churcl  itablish  their 

own  Sabbath  sohools,  and  the  history  of  each  individual  church  may  be  assumi 
include  the  history  of  its  own   Sabbath  school  without  doing   much  violence  to  bis 
hence  w<  shall  not  pursue  the  subji 

•  i  mi  1 1. km  a 

We  ha  i  elsewhere  that  the  first  cemetery  laid  oat  in  the  township  of  Bl 

ington,  is  the  one  in  the  Orendorff  neighborfa I,  started  in  1 1  • . -  year   1825      This  is 

oldest  cemetery  in  the  county. 

Shortly  after  the  town,  now  cityj  of  1>1 lington,  was  established,  a  cem<  U  rj 

opened  on  the  north  Bide  of  the  ample  grounds  now  known  aa  the  Bloomington  Cem- 
etery.    Here  we  find  that  the  first  burial  was  thai  oi    M       Remington,  about  the 

This  tract  is  included  within  1 1 1 « -  same  inolosure  with  the  Bloomington  Cem 
etery,  and  contains  some  land  owned  by  the  <itv  and  used  a-  a  public  burying-ground 
As  the  t..wn  grew  and  it  became  evident  it  would  !»•  a  place  of  considerable  size,  efforts 

made  in  1866  t"  establish  .i  oemeterj  on  a  larger  and  more  appropriate  scale,  and 
result  proves  ti  taste,  wisdom  and  judgment  of  those  interest 

The    Bloomington  Cemetery     Lssociation  «  oized   April    1.    1857.     David 

l.-'j.  was  elected  President,  and  I.  G  S  oretarj  and  Treasurer,  which  |"-i 

ti>>n  the  latter  gentleman  has  ably  filled  and  i-  filling  t"  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all  , 
while  the  former  gentleman  held  the  presidenoj  until  he  removed  from  the  city,  when 
Judgi  (|  T.  K<  to  thai   position.     The  Cemeten    grounds  in 

isl  •  •  1 1 * i    I    I  !■  in  i  and  oontain  fortj  si  n  -  and  an  -  ifl     i  ntlj  rem 

the  bosinesa  center  ami  ev<  rj  daj  lit-  nder  *  1 » « -  | >l:»< -.-  a  tittin_-  abode  of  the 

chosen  it  i  beautiful  one      It-   rolling   ground  is  pit  ising  and  is  intei 
\\itli  a  natui  'li  of  trees  and  shrubs   making  it>  landscape  Immuu  uh-u i j..i->.<I  tin 

the  pur|  igned      It  utiful,  secluded  retreat,  well  adapted 


60 

for  the  reception  of  the  dead,  where  monuments  to  their  memory  are  preserved  and 
cherished  as  a  solace  to  the  living.  Many  monuments  and  other  valuable  improvements 
are  being  made,  which  add  beauty  to  and  adorn  the  grounds,  making  it  really  a  city 
of  the  dead. 

The  Catholic  Cemetery  is  under  the  care  of  the  Church.  It  is  situated  on  West 
Washington  street,  near  the  city  limits.  This  Cemetery,  like  the  other,  is  fast  filling  up 
with  tasteful  monuments,  which  indicate  a  degree  of  civilization  and  culture  greatly  to 
be  commended. 

The  Jewish  Cemetery  was  laid  out  in  1874.  It  contains  one  acre  of  gronnd,  near 
city  limits,  on  the  Springfield  road.  The  President  of  the  Association  is  M.  Heilbrun, 
who  first  proposed  the  idea  of  a  cemetery. 

FRANKLIN    PARK. 

Bloomington  has  reason  to  be  proud  of  the  beautiful  square  called  Franklin  Park, 
which  is  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city.  It  was  donated  in  1856,  by  David  Davis, 
W.  T.  Flagg  and  William  H.  Allin,  who  were  owners  of  the  land  included  in  the  Dur- 
ley  Addition.  They  presented  it  to  the  city  to  be  perpetually  used  as  a  public  park. 
At  that  time,  there  were  no  residences  in  its  vicinity,  and  the  idea  of  the  public  ever 
obtaining  any  benefit  from  a  park  in  that  desolate  region  was  the  theme  of  much  ridi- 
cule on  the  part  of  the  wits  of  the  time.  The  rapid  growth  of  the  city  in  its  northern 
portion  has  proved  the  wisdom  and  far-sightedness  of  the  donors  of  Franklin  Park.  In 
the  spring  of  1 858,  the  City  Council  appropriated  money  for  planting  trees,  and  the 
work  was  mostly  superintended  by  Milo  Chatfield,  then  Alderman.  The  trees  were 
mere  poles,  and  their  wretched  appearance  again  started  the  flood-gates  of  ridicule. 
These  trees  have  now  become  a  beautiful  forest,  and  the  place  begins  to  be  prized  by 
our  citizens,  and  will,  no  doubt,  soon  be  improved  with  walks,  drives,  seats,  iron  fences, 
statues  and  fountains. 

It  can  already  boast  of  one  of  the  noblest  ornaments  of  McLean  County,  the  Sol- 
diers' Monument,  which  was  erected  by  vote  of  the  people  of  the  entire  county.  The 
vote  was  taken  in  1866,  and  the  monument  was  dedicated  June  17,  1869.  In  some 
parts  of  the  county,  votes  were  cast  against  the  proposition,  on  the  ground  that  it  was 
supposed  the  monument  was  to  be  placed  in  the  Bloomington  Cemetery,  but  there  never 
was  any  intention  of  such  a  location. 

The  monument  was  designed  and  built  by  J.  S.  Haldeman,  of  this  city.  The 
following  is  a  detailed  sketch  of  its  size  and  general  appearance  :  The  lower  base  is 
built  of  Lemont  limestone,  thirteen  feet  in  diameter ;  the  marble  base  on  the  top  of 
this  is  finished  with  a  heavy  carved  molding,  on  which  stand  four  octagonal  disks,  in 
the  shape  of  a  cross.  On  these  disks  are  the  names  of  about  seven  hundred  soldiers 
that  died  in  the  service.  On  the  top  of  these  disks  is  an  elaborately  molded  cap,  with 
the  inscription,  "  McLean  County's  Honored  Sons ;  Fallen,  But  Not  Forgotten," 
engraved  in  large  letters.  On  this  cap,  and  directly  over  each  of  the  four  disks,  stands 
a  statue  of  a  soldier,  representing  first,  Infantry,  second,  Cavalry,  third,  Zouave,  fourth, 
Marine.  These  statues  surround  a  large  octagonal  disk,  with  heavy  relief  covering. 
On  the  four  corners  there  are  flags,  accoutrements,  etc.  Above  this  disk  is  a  second 
disk  surrounded  with  a  finely-carved  festoon  of  laurel.  From  this  disk  starts  the  main 
shaft,  which  is  eighteen  feet  high,  tapering  gradually  to  the  top,  and  surmounted  with  a 


' 


&* 


J 


SOLDIERS    MONUMENT 


BLOOM  IVC.TOH 


and  i  life  size  figure  of  ■  colonel  resting  "ii   bis  sword,  holding  in  !ii-  right  bind  i 
6eld-glass,  and  facing  the  south.     The  whole  height  of  the  monument  is  forty-nine  t 
firom  the  ^r. mn. I  to  the  top  of  the  colonel's  head      Ii 

&AILROA1 

\V.  bavi    dread)  alluded  to  the  raol    that    Blooniinj  of  the  • 

stem  of  the  [nternal  Improvement  schenn  of  I  II  I 

as  then  pi  •    might  pass  i  way  t"  tl>  r  n  l"ii_-  distance  to  'I 

.mi  city,  but  men  lik<-  A   Gridley,  Jess    W    I ■'•  II.  I>a\i.l   Davis  J.  K    McClun,  and 
others  were  watching  the  project,  determined  that  the  line  should  touch   B  m. 

if  I  e  influence.     Circumstances  favored  Gen  Gridley,  who  was  in  thi   3 

-  tiate  in  1  ~~>  1 .  and  he  secured  the  line  where  Bloomington  most  wished  it  to  be  I 

Our  oitisens  began  t<>  feel,  in  I860,  when  legislation  and  the  pr<  tding 

made  it  probable  the  road  might  I"-  built  in  a  few  years,  that  it  n  is  tritaUy  important 
obtain  tli>'  line      The  Senatorial  contest  in  this  district,  in  the  fall  of  1850,  was  botl) 
ited  between   \.  Gridlev  and  John  rV.  Ewing-  the  former  a  Whig,  and  the  latt 

:i  Democrat.     Both  men  were  in  favor  of  Bl nington's  becoming  m  point  on  tin-  road, 

though  tli  live  political  parties  affected  to  doubt   the  soundness  of  each  « •  1 1 1 

candidates       Mr    Gridlej  was  elected  from  th<    counties  of  McLean,  Tazewell,  I. 
M  n-, .ii  ami   DeWitt,  by  249  majority.     During  the  session  of  the  Legislature  of  1850 
and   L851,  tin-  Dlinois  Central  charter  was  passed.     The  only  points  located   in   the 
irter  are  the  termini,  and  a  point    not   far  from  the  southeast   corner  of  Blooming 
ton  Township.     After  a  -  intest  with  rival  routes,  Mr.  Gridlej  1  the  iti- 

t i < > t ■  of  tlii—  ..in-  intermediate  point,  whioh  gave  Decatur,  Clinton  anil   l>! nington  the 

r.-ail  with  little  further  trouble. 

\\ .  oopj  from  the   Western  Intelligencer  a  letter  of  great  interest 

Senate  Cbambbb,  February  6,  1861. 
this  moment,  by  a  rote  of  28  t'>  2,  has  passed  the  Centra]  Railroad  Mil.     Tin- 
nii  made  on  the  Central  road,  between  the  southern  terminus  of  the  canal  and  < 
that  the  ro  id  shall  rueted  w  ithin  five  mil<--  of  the  northeast  corner  of  Township  21  north, 

:   the  Third  Principal  Meridian.     This  provision  Bloon  ington, 

Clinton  an  i  I » .  ■  I  all  question,  an  ostruotion  of  thi 

through  the  il  aties  of  MoLean,   DeWitt  and    Mi    in       I-    great  difficulty  has  I n  in 

determining  the  points  to  whiob  the  road  should  be  constructed;  and   inasmuch  as  there  baa 

•  n  but  one  poini  fixed  in  the  whole  State    except  the  termini  i  by  the  act  i  I 

I  think  i lit*  citicent  that  bj  tin-  provisions  of  il>i-  bill  tfa 

to  them. 
Bj  ■  the  map,  as  the  road  wil  the  nori  .  21, 

•  ■    that   Bloomington  is  ii  four  mi 

i  to   La  Salle,  or  t  be  termination 

•  mi-  will  -.  --ii   Monday,  the   I  Till .     I 

tiding  il  l%il- 

r-      ■    ■  .  ■   •  .  i  which  event   I 

hi  ..f  the  Company,  that   the 

■   ■  -..    I   •  ■  |h' 

I  •  ..-11  knowing  tin  sin 

r  hchall 

\  •■!  \    '. Kl  hi  l  i 


When  the  engineers  came  to  locate  the  line  of  the  Illinois  Central,  a  public  meet- 
ing was  bald,  offering  the  righl  of  way  to  the  company  providing  t  certain  line  was 
adopted,  it  being  almost  the  exact  route  whict  was  afterward  followed.  There  wa-  a 
plan  to  take  tin  road  about  three  miles  east  of  Bloomington,  hut  it  was  defeated.  Tin 
line  was  located  a-  it  was  bnilt  and  its  building  commenced  in  1861.  During  the  year 
1*52.  work  was  e.uj,,._r  mi  along  in  this  portion  of  the  State,  and,  it  being  the  first  rail- 
road ever  built  hen-,  it  of  course  attracted  a  great  deal  "(attention.  At  one  time,  these 
scheme  for  locating  the  railroad-shops  here,  but  for  the  reason  that  the  company 
itself  did  not  own  land  enough  at  this  point  to  reap  a  harvest  from  the  sale  of  town 
lots,  it  preferred  to  build  a  town  of  its  own  at  Wapella.  The  oars  ran  from  La  Salle 
to  Bloomington  May  -'.>,  1853.  It  is  stated  by  those  who  were  living  at  the  time,  that 
no  event  has  ever  created  such  profound  excitement  as  did  the  arrival  of  the  first  rail- 
road train  from  La  Salle  on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  Bloomington  and  the  sur- 
rounding country  turned  out  en  masse,  waiting  at  the  depot  for  the  new-fangled  machine 
that  dispensed  with  the  aid  of  horses.  There  were  large  numbers  present  who  had 
never  seen  an  engine  before,  and  to  all,  even  those  to  whom  it  was  no  novelty,  the  event 
was  one  of  the  deepest  significance.  Bloomington,  after  nearly  twenty  years  of  watch- 
ing, working  and  waiting,  had  now  a  railroad,  and  was  about  to  enter  upon  an  active 
career.  To  the  minds  of  all  who  were  present  on  that  occasion,  it  was  the  dawning  of 
a  new  era  of  prosperity  for  our  city,  and  the  result  of  twenty-six  years  of  railroad 
advantages  is  sufficient  proof  that  the  spectators  of  that  event  were  correct  in  their 
anticipations. 

About  this  time — 1850  to  1853 — several  other  railroad  projects  were  before  our 
people.  One  was  the  "  Peoria,  Bloomington  &  La  Fayette"  and  another  the  "  Bloom- 
ington &  Wabash  Valley."  The  former  really  became  the  Peoria  A:  Logansport 
through  El  Paso  and  Chenoa,  after  Bloomington  people  had  been  rather  tricked  out  of 
the  line  by  the  actions  of  Peoria.  The  names  of  the  gentlemen  who  were  mentioned 
in  the  act  of  incorporation  of  the  "Bloomington  &  Wabash  Valley  "  road  are  given 
below,  and  we  insert  as  a  remark  of  our  own.  that  the  most  of  these  same  men  have 
been  found  aiding  every  road  that  Bloomington  possesses  to-day:  David  Davis,  John 
Moore.  Isaac  Punk,  John  E.  McClun,  James  Miller.  .Jesse  W.  Pell,  A.  Gridley,  K. 
II    Pell,  E.  II.  Didlake,  J.  II.  Robinson,  R.O.  Warriner,A.  Withers.  John  W.  Swing, 

W    P.   Plagg,  W.   II.  Temple,  W.   II.   Holmes  and  W.  T.  Major. 

These  two  roads  mentioned,  however,  have  substantially  been  secured  by  the 
Indianapolis  and  La  Payette  routes,  which  have  lately  been  built  on  nearly  the  same 
line-  as  were  projected  in  these  early  times.  These  years  -1850  to  1853— were  fruit- 
ful in  "projects"  for  railroads,  and,  in  fact,  fruitful  in  results.  October  15,  1853,  by 
a  vote  of  340  to  5,  the  city  of  Bloomington  voted  to  take  stock  to  the  amount  of 

$50,000  in  the  "  Bloomington  \'    Wabash"  road,  but   for  some  reason  the    project    failed 
at  that  time,  to  be   revived    again    under   another   charter   at    a   later   date.       Its  line  has 

sine.-  been  occupied  substantially,    by  the  present    Indianapolis  &    Bloomington  road. 
u  bose  later  history  is  given  below. 

The  ■■  Alton  \  Sangamon,"  or  "Chicago  \  Mississippi"  Railroad,  alluded  to  by 
(Jen.  ( iridley  above,  succeeded  in  getting  its  charter  extended  to  Bloomington,  and 
wry  soon  our  citizens  began  to  hear  of  the  location  of  the  Springfield  &   Bloomington 

Railroad.      Surveys  were  made,  the  line  put   under  contract,  and    in    due  course   of  time 


63 

— October  16.  1853 — the  cars  were  running  from  Springfield  to  Bloomington.  For 
several  months,  trains  connected  with  the  Illinois  Central  at  the  Junction  which  is  now 
Normal,  and  passengers  from  Springfield  could  reach  Chicago  via  Bloomington  and 
La  Salle.  At  that  time,  the  line  which  is  now  the  Chicago  &  Alton,  advertised  in  a 
Bloomington  paper  to  take  passengers  to  New  York  in  "  only  sixty  hours." 

This  new  road  came  quietly,  compared  with  the  Illinois  Central ;  the  latter  had 
been  talked  of  ever  since  1836,  and  the  former  was  comparatively  unknown  to  the  gen- 
eral public  until  its  contractors  were  at  work  all  along  the  line.  When  it  arrived,  it 
almost  took  the  town  by  surprise.  As  the  road  reached  Bloomington  late  in  the  fall,  it 
was  not  able  to  finish  its  northern  end  until  the  following  summer ;  and  the  Joliet  &  Bloom- 
ino-ton  Extension — as  it  was  called — was  readv  for  use  during  the  summer  of  1854. 
The  portion  nearest  Bloomington  was  built  first,  and  was  so  far  along  that  an  excursion- 
train  ran  to  Lexington  on  the  4th  of  July,  1854.  The  Joliet  &  Chicago  Railroad  had 
been  built  previously,  and  we  believe  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad,  from  Chicago  to 
East  St.  Louis,  has  been  built  under  at  least  five  different  charters,  each  authorizing 
only  a  portion  of  the  present  line. 

When  the  Illinois  Central  depot  was  located  at  the  eastern  side  of  town,  the  idea 
of  locating  the  other  at  or  outside  of  the  western  edge  was  advocated  by  Jesse  Fell  and 
others,  and  though  not  popular  at  first,  it  was  soon  thought  that  if  the  two  depots 
were  thus  situated,  the  town  would  be  spread  out  wide  and  in  the  end  might  be 
benefited. 

By  donations  of  land  and  assistance  in  other  ways,  these  gentlemen  also  secured 
the  building  of  the  railroad  machine-shops  in  1852  and  1853,  which,  in  the  end,  have 
become  so  highly  important  to  the  prosperity  of  Bloomington,  which  owes  a  debt  of 
gratitude  to  these  far-seeing  gentlemen.  The  location  of  the  shops  made  Bloomington 
a  convenient  point  for  the  starting  of  the  Jacksonville  branch  in  1867,  and  then  the 
building  of  this  branch  made  it  comparatively  easy  for  Bloomington  to  obtain  the 
rebuilding  of  the  machine-shops  after  the  fire  in  1867,  when,  but  for  the  fact  of  the 
junction  here,  we  should  have  been  compelled  to  pay  much  more  than  855,000  in  com- 
petition with  Chicago,  Lincoln,  Springfield  and  Joliet.  When  the  Jacksonville  branch 
was  built  in  1867,  Bloomington  was  obliged  to  vote  $75,000  in  aid,  which  was  given, 
half  by  the  city  and  the  balance  by  the  township  of  Bloomington.  Nearly  three  hun- 
dred votes  were  cast  against  this  proposition,  but  the  majority  in  its  favor  was  several 
hundred,  our  voters  seeing  so  plainly  the  advantages  of  the  road  that  they  did  not  dare 
risk  its  loss  by  an  adverse  vote.  It  is  almost  certain  that  the  line  would  have  run 
directly  north  from  Delavan  to  Washington,  had  Bloomington  and  the  towns  interven- 
ing voted  the  project  down. 

It  had  now  become  the  ambition  of  Bloomington  to  be  a  great  railroad  center,  and 
it  needed  no  argument  to  convince  the  public  in  1867,  that  our  interests  would  be  sub- 
served by  building  any  road  that  might  be  projected.  The  plan  for  a  railroad  from 
Pekin  through  Bloomington,  Le  Roy,  Urbana  and  Danville,  had  been  proposed  as  early 
as  1836,  and  at  about  that  time  twelve  miles  were  graded  east  from  Pekin.  This  was  a 
failure,  owing  to  the  crash  that  involved  all  these  enterprises  before  1840,  and  the  pro- 
ject was  nearly  dormant  until  1866,  though  it  was  revived  in  1854,  and  again  in  1856, 
a  meeting  having  been  held  January  24,  1856,  at  Mackinaw,  to  aid  the  matter,  and 
another  a  little  later,  on  the  east  end  of  the  line,  which  was  then  called  the  Danville  & 


64 

Bloomington  Railroad.  A  charter  in  aid  of  the  east  and  west  line  was  obtained  Feb- 
ruary 11,  1857,  and  during  the  year,  meetings  were  held  at  various  places  between 
Pekin  and  Danville.  A  proposition  to  grant  $100,000  from  the  proceeds  of  alternate 
sections  of  McLean  County's  swamp-land,  was  voted  down  in  this  county  November  5, 
1857,  the  vote  standing  1,570  opposed  and  1,166  in  favor.  The  crisis  of  1857,  no 
doubt  affected  the  whole  project  unfavorably,  as  we  find  nothing  definite  was 
accomplished  until  after  the  beginning  of  1866.  During  that  year,  a  meet- 
ing was  held  at  Urbana,  another,  a  little  later,  in  Bloomington,  and  others 
at  Le  Roy,  where,  August  27,  1866,  an  organization  was  effected,  and  the  work  was 
pushed  ahead,  though  Bloomington  did  not  voce  in  aid  of  the  plan  until  the  spring  of 
1867,  when,  at  a  special  election,  a  vote  was  taken  on  the  question  of  giving  $100,000 
in  township  bonds  to  this  line  and  as  much  to  the  La  Fayette,  Bloomington  &  Missis- 
sippi Railroad.  Both  propositions  were  carried  with  less  than  a  dozen  votes  opposed. 
There  never  was  any  opposition  to  this  road,  or  to  the  other.  Every  one  saw  plainly  the 
value  of  both  lines;  but  while  it  was  doubtful  which  line  might  be  first  voted  upon, 
there  was  a  little  danger  that  the  jealousy  existing  between  the  special  friends  of  each 
might  endanger  both.  Dr.  E.  Conkling  is  entitled  to  a  good  deal  of  credit  for  assisting 
this  enterprise,  aided  by  such  men  as  Judge  McClun,  J.  W.  Fell,  A.  Gridley  and  others, 
who  have  always  favored  every  railroad.  The  vote  to  issue  bonds  to  the  amount  of 
$100,000  in  aid  of  the  La  Fayette,  Bloomington  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  and  an  equal 
amount  to  the  Indianapolis,  Bloomington  &  Western,  then  called  the  Danville,  Urbana, 
Pekin  &  Bloomington  Railroad,  was  taken  at  a  special  town  meeting,  June  3,  1867,  and 
resulted  in  a  vote  of  904  for  and  6  against  the  former  road,  and  913  for  and  6  against 
the  last-named  route. 

The  unanimity  of  this  vote  is  sufficient  proof  of  the  state  of  public  sentiment  at 
that  time  ;  though  now  we  are  paying  the  cost  of  these  improvements,  some  feel  as  if  they 
are  too  expensive.  Still,  were  the  vote  taken  over  again  to-day,  there  is  no  doubt  a 
good  majority  would  favor  the  same  projects  that  were  voted  on  June  3,  1867. 

The  La  Fayette,  Bloomington  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  running  directly  east  is  a 
favorite  line.  It  was  built  between  1869  and  1872,  and  is  the  result  of  the  energy  and 
"  push"  of  A.  Gridley,  A.  B.  Ives,  J.  H.  Cheney,  J.  E.  McClun, O.  T.  Reeves,  Charles 
M.  Holder,  and  a  few  others.  These  gentlemen  labored  incessantly  to  secure  the  road, 
and  at  one  time  its  success  was  so  doubtful  that  probably  had  either  one  of  them  ceased 
his  efforts,  the  road  would  not  have  been  finished.  It  runs  from  Bloomington  to  La 
Fayette,  Ind.,  where  it  connects  with  the  La  Fayette,  Muncie  &  Bloomington  Railroad, 
and  affords  the  shortest  line  from  Bloomington  to  Buffalo  and  Eastern  points.  Its 
grades  are  easy,  and  it  is  rarely  obstructed  by  snow.  The  original  company  is  now 
dissolved,  and  the  line  is  operated  by  a  Receiver.  Its  Treasurer  is  Mr.  J.  H.  Cheney,  of 
this  city,  who  represents  Bloomington's  interests  in  this  line,  or,  rather,  is  the  only 
official  of  the  road  who  is  a  Bloomingtonian. 

The  Indianapolis  &  Bloomington  road  was  finished  May  1,  1870,  and  the  La 
Fayette  road  in  1872  ;  giving  our  city  railroad  routes  diverging  in  eight  different 
directions,  like  the  spokes  of  a  wheel  from  the  hub,  and  enabling  our  merchants  to  ship 
goods  at  as  favorable  rates  as  competing  cities.  A  retrospective  story  of  what  has  been 
accomplished  since  just  after  the  "deep  snow  "  in  1831 — the  Commissioners  located  a 
county  seat  at  "  the  north  end  of  the  Blooming  Grove" — would  read  like  a  fable,  did  we 


nut  have  th«'  evidence  of  men  -till  living  who  have  Been  all  these  wmnlfrful  diaii^r*  a* 
they  have  occurred  from  yew  t<>  year  Blooming  Grove  -from  having  been  ■  desolate 
wilderness  in   1821,  unknown  bands  of  predator)  Indians,  whos.  tr.iil- 

each  oth<  r  :it  tlii>  point,  li  lucational,  ■  moral  and  rel 

ami  railroad  center.     In  the  natural  coarse  "t"  events,  more  schools  and  colleges 

will  oenter  here;  more  commercial  and  mannfaotoring  enterprises  will   have  their  I 

quarters  at  this  city,  and  other  railroads  will  oenter  here  or  c led  with   "ur  pr 

roads  in  such  a  manner  as  to  become  practically  Bloomington  1  During  the 

1878,  the  Chicago  A    Alton    Railroad  has  buill  an   extension  from   Mexii      M       162 
miles  to  K  m~. i-  <'it\.  which  will  add   immense!)  to  the  business  of  the  line,  of  which 
•i  will  reap  man)  solid  advantages  through  it-  machine  shops,  whose  capacity 
m  ill  thereb)  be  still  further  developed. 

In  the  near  future,  Bloomington  may  Bee  a  railroad  running  northeast  to  intercept 
the  niinou  Central's  new  line  al  Chatsworth,  a  northwestern  line  to  connect  Washington 
and  Peoria  with  Bloomington,  and  a  line  to  the  southeast  to  connect  with  the  Rantoul 
narrow-gauge  road.  Other  roads  now  unprotected  will  yet  oenter  here  Mas  our 
citizens,  in  the  future  as  in   the  past,  lend  a  helping  hand  to  wl  when  well 

sidered  by  our  ablest  citizens,  promis  Ivai       iui  best  inl 

OUB    PEL!  QB  kPHfi 

In  Angust,  1853,    Son.  John  l>.  Caton,  the  pioneer  of  the  Western  Union  T 
graph  Lines,  came  to  this  city.     Be  told  Gen.  Gridlc)  that  if  Bloomington  would  take 
$1,000  of  Btock  lii-  company  would   give  our  city  a  telegraph  "Mice  on  the  line  then 

building  from  Chicago  to  Springfield.     It  does  not  appear  to  hai scurred  to  our  <iti- 

lens  that  the  telegraph  business  of  the  place  would  of  itself  justify  the  company  in 
og  an  office  open,  and  bo  they  to  ik  hold  with  tli.ir  usual  energy  and  subscribed  the 
amount     As  ■  part  of  the  bistor)  of  the  telegraph,  we  give  the  list  of  Bubseribi  i 

C   P.  Merriman,$100;   W.  H.  Allin   (60     \   Gridlej    |         I    M.  Wells,  $50;   B.H.  Painter 
Parke,  |50     W.  P    Flagg,  (50;  J.  W.  Ewing,  $60;  J    W.  Qnderwood  .\  I 
rhompson,  |60 ;   Ba  |  Paiat  &  Elder,  $50 ;   B    II    P«      |50;  John 

P.  O'Brien,  $50  0;  G   B    Larriaon  and  A. C.  Washbnrne,  $60 ;   Ifagoun, 

Mill.  •  I      Wi.ki/.r  ltd   Ma* 

The  pol  -""ii  her<  .  the  w  ire  was  in  place,  and  on  the  -  Itli  of  January,  1  85  l 

an  office  was  opened  in  Bloomington.  The  files  of  the  Pantograph  show  that  paper's 
first  message,  which  was  from  the  fUitu      J    irnal  office  at  Springfield,  as  follow 

hoi  i  k  i  d,  January  28,  I 
C.  I'    U  ■•      M  i'.   the  immunicaiion  by  telegraph,  so  auspi 

tinue  f  •  8.  Pbascu 

M  ittht  n  I.  Steele  was  the  first  telegraph  operator  at  the  B     tnington  office,  which 
in  1854,  in  what  was  known  as   M  Block,  on  Front  Street.     II 

followed  in  1866,  by  Arthur  T.  McElhiney,  who  is  the  present  manager  of  the  Bloom' 

ii  office,   thus  making  a  quarter  of  a  centurj  with  only  two  different   officials  in 
charge  of  what  is  a  very  important  office.     The  Pantagraph  and  t.'nal  Ci>m]>ain 
a  local-line  from   Bloomington   to    Normal,    to  the  coal-shaft,  and  to    various 

making  nine  mi  u] which  then    are,  at  least,  thirt)  private  instruments 

ui'l  .i  oumbi  r  of  tclephon 


66 

There  are  important  offices  at  the  headquarters  of  the  C.  &  A.  R.  R.  Company,  at 
its  shops  in  Bloomington,  where  a  large  force  of  operators  constantly  direct  the  running 
of  trains,  while  the  other  railroads  have  one  or  more  telegraphers  constantly  on  duty ; 
so  that,  in  all,  twenty  operators  are  employed  in  this  city,  on  regular  salaries,  not  to  men- 
tion those  who  use  the  wire  as  an  incident  of  their  daily  business,  as  is  the  case  with 
the  patrons  of  the  Pantagraph  and  Coal  Company's  line,  as  well  as  several  of  the  other 
patrons  of  the  different  lines,  who  have  instruments  of  their  own. 

NEWSPAPERS. 

The  Bloomington  Observer  (weekly)  was  the  first  newspaper  published  in  Bloom- 
ington or  in  the  county,  and  was  established  January  14,  1837,  by  Messrs.  James 
Allin,  Jesse  W.  Fell  and  A.  Gridley,  and  was  edited  by  William  Hill,  afterward,  for  a 
short  time,  by  Mr.  Fell.  In  1838,  the  Observer  espoused  the  side  of  the  Whig  party 
in  politics.  The  name  was  changed,  not  long  afterward,  to  the  Western  Whig,  and  it 
was  conducted  by  Charles  P.  Merriman.  In  1852,  the  name  was  again  changed  to  the 
Bloomington  Intelligencer,  the  paper  again  passing  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Jesse 
Fell,  who  sold  out  in  a  year  or  two  after,  to  Mr.  Charles  P.  Merriman,  and  the  sheet  was 
baptized  anew  as  the  Pantagraph.  The  Daily  Pantagraph  was  started  June  19,. 
1854.  It  was  sold,  in  1856,  by  him  to  William  E.  Foote,  who  published  it  until 
1861,  E.  J.  Lewis  being  the  editor.  It  is  now  owned  and  published  by  William  0. 
Davis. 

This  paper  has  become  well  established,  being  one  of  the  best  known  in  the  West. 
The  peculiarity  of  its  name  has  attracted  much  attention,  many  critics  and  scholars 
appearing  to  confound  it  with  the  word  "  pentagraph,"  which  is  thus  defined  by  Web- 
ster :  "  Pentagraph,  see  pantagraph."  Under  head  of  "  pantagraph,"  he  says,  "  a  math- 
ematical instrument  for  copying  ;  written,  also,  pantograph,  and,  less  correctly,  penta- 
graph." Mr.  Charles  P.  Merriman,  a  fine  Greek  scholar,  gives  the  following  as  the 
meaning  of  the  word ;  and  as  his  explanation  is  satisfactory  to  the  best  classical  stu- 
dents, we  insert  it  here,  in  hope  it  will  thus  go  into  permanent  history,  and  set  the  ques- 
tion at  rest.  Mr.  Merriman  was  the  originator  of  the  word,  as  well  as  the  founder  of 
the  Pantagraph: 

"  '  Panta  '  is  the  neuter  accusative  plural  of  the  Greek  adjunct  pas,  and  '  graph  ' 
is  from  the  Greek  verb  grapho,  here  used  in  the  imperative  mode  ;  the  name  '  Panta- 
graph ' — write  all  things —  is  a  perpetual  injunction  upon  its  editors  to  dip  their  pens 
fearlessly  into  all  matters  of  human  interest." 

Other  journals  have  been  established  at  various  times  and  flourished  for  a  brief 
period,  to  give  place,  in  turn,  to  others ;  but  none  of  them  have  survived  any  length  of 
time.  Among  them  may  be  mentioned  the  Evening  Argus,  National  Flag,  afterward 
the  Illinois  Statesman,  Illinois  Central  Democrat,  Bloomington  Times,  Ant  i- Monopolist, 
McLean  County  Democrat,  Bloomington  Republican,  Illinois  Schoolmaster,  the 
Advance,  and  others  of  less  repute. 

The  fire  of  editorial  controversy,  it  may  be  assumed,  waxed  high  at  times,  as  we 
find  in  an  old  number  of  the  Intelligencer  a  brief  item,  to  the  effect  that  an  article  had 
appeared  in  the  Flag  containing  a  long  array  of  abusive  epithets  against  the  editor  of 
the  former  sheet,  of  which  "  dastardly  whelp,"  "  scoundrel,"  etc.,  were  a  great  deal  the 
mildest.     "  This,  of  course,  brought  on  a  personal  encounter,"  continues  the  "  responsible ' ' 


1 '  "• 

editor,  bul   adds  the  gratify  in  thai  either  of  as 

ived  an  inja 

The  bistorj  oi  the  tips  and  downs  of  aewspap*  r  life  r.  oeived  an  addition  in  the  sudden 

<1< >mise  of  the  Bloomington  which  came  to  an  untimely  end    it  the  hands  of  tin- 

Ninetj  fourth    Regiment   Illinois  Volunteers   a   McLean  Count)  regiment.      The  paper 

• .  x>me  "I"  to  m  1 1 1 ; 1 1 1 y  "t"  the  citizens,  l>y  reason  ol    its  Southern  proclivities 

and  i  of  sympathy  for  the  States  in  rebellion,  and   the  i  v  it. m.  q|   I,. 

lead  the  Boldiere,  abetted  by  prominent   oUisens,  to  destroy  the  office  and 
a  hen  tin  paper  has  sol  been  re>  i 
i      re  are  now  two  dailj  papers,  th<    faf         g  Pantograph  and  th<   Evening 
I        Weekly  Leader  was  started  bj  Scibird   A   Wan    -     N  ivember   1"'.  L 868.  and  the 
ruary  22,  1870,  and   is  now  owned   bj    M    B    Leland,  publisher.      Beside 

it)  can   boasl   several  weekly  |  the    /' itu    A  s        <,   /    ■ 

and  the  fl  of   II  Itneu.     The  Bl ningt Journal   Qerman  anded 

\    Schmidt;    present   proprietor   II    Meyei       It    is  ■   paper  of  muofa  influence,  as  i- 
also  the   fcfcZi  i      County  Deutsch*    P  f  which  John  Koester  is  editor  and  pr>>- 

pri( ' 

i  III.    ::l  OOMINOTON    LIBRAR1 

'I'll,  institution  now  known  as  the    Bloomington    Library    \-      iation  is  one  of  the 
terving  iii  the  city.     Ii  has  become  endeared  to  the  public  by  the  unMt  work  it 
mplished,  by  its  valuable  collection  of  I ks,  and  by  its  promise  of  future  bene- 
fit to  posterity.     It-  early  history  is  of  muofa  interest     The  first    trace  die 
well-written  communication  in  the  Pantograph  of  Maj  21,  1854  signed  G.  I-  K..  urging 
the  formation  of  a  library  and  reading-room.     Bloomington'e    halcyon   days  were  in 
1854      At  thai  time,  it  boasted    1,000  inhabitants,  1  _'  churches  and  -•  its  in  them  l'..r 
nearlj  the  total  population.     Possibly,  this  was  more  of  a  boast   than  ;i  reality,  b  i 
our  city  bas  grown,  our  church  accommodations  have  not  kepi  pace,  though  in  the  mat 
it-r<">ni  in  the  public  schools,  we  have  reversed  the  situation   compared  with 
B  .i    are  merely  wished   to  remark   that  those  who  were  al  the 
helm  in  1854  to  1858  planned   hugely  for  the  public  good.     They  built  ohurohes,  they 
reformed  "ur  public  Bchools,   they   endowed  <>r  founded  colleges,  and  they  <li'l  nol  t 

tli>-  needofa  public  library.     We  are  reaping  the  harvest  from  theg 1  seed  then  sown, 

and  in  ii"  "ii--  department  were  the  early  laborers  more  faithful  than  in  that  now  nn 

[deration.     The  need  of  a  library,  and  the  condition  of  public  opinion   in  relation 

thereto,  stimulated   the  ladies  of  "ur  oitj  to  make  an  effort,  which  has  resulted  in  the 

foundation  of  "ur  Bloomington  Library.     Among  those  particularly  worth]  of  mention 

M       i:  \    i:  oo*    Mr-    Gr.  \V    Parke,  and   Bfist    Hannah   M   Snow. 

i       ladies  obtained  quite  a  number  <>t'  subscriptions  from   persons  who  were  willii 

_'.|  of  October,  1856  i  publio  meeting  was  called  al  M  -  Hall, 
for  the  purpose  of  organizing  the  "  Ladies  Library  \'  this  meeting,  whioh  was  well 
attended,  the  ladies  riptions  to  the  amount   of  sil7      A  committa  «.i- 

appointed  to  draft  a  constitution  and  by  laws,  to  report  al  i  future  meeting.  This  com- 
mitter was  Rei  r  N  Ewii  Dr  W  •'  Bobbs,  David  Davis,  Vf.  II  AUlin  and  John 
i     M  I    in       lifter  one  or  two  preliminary  meetings  the  permanent  organisation  of  the 

Ladies  Library   \  n,  of  the  City  of  Bl ningl  thi  I 

:i.in  Clnir.  i     ■         ah  r  13,  1  - 


68 

The  ladies  alone  were  eligible  to  office  during  the  first  six  or  eight  years.  The 
first  officers  were  :  President,  Mrs.  S.  B.  Brown  ;  Vice  President,  Miss  A.  Warriner ; 
Secretary,  Miss  Caldwell ;  Corresponding  Secretary,  Miss  H.  Parsons ;  Treasurer,  Miss 
Rebecca  A.  Rogers  ;  Librarian,  Miss  Hannah  M.  Snow.  The  first  Board  of  Managers 
was  composed  of  the  following  ladies  :  Mrs.  D.  Davis,  Mrs.  P.  N.  Ewing,  Mrs.  T.  Pardee, 
Mrs.  H.  Spencer  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Allin. 

On  the  28th  of  February,  1857,  the  Library  was  opened  in  a  room  on  Center  street. 
At  the  next  meeting,  Judge  Davis  offered  a  room  on  Main  street  free  of  rent,  which 
offer  was  very  thankfully  accepted.  The  Library  remained  in  this  room  for  six  or  seven 
years,  rent  free,  and,  during  all  this  time,  it  was  taken  care  of  and  fostered  by  the 
ladies  with  a  zeal  and  enthusiasm  that  gained  it  a  high  position  among  the  worthy 
institutions  of  Bloomington.  Its  growth  was  gradual  but  sure.  The  catalogue  from 
the  beginning  has  always  exhibited  a  large  selection  of  valuable  books,  and  it  has  been 
one  of  the  educational  institutions  of  our  city. 

In  the  year  1867,  it  was  thought  best  to  organize  under  an  act  of  the  Legislature, 
which  was  obtained  February  23,  1867.  The  Library  changed  its  name  to  the  "  Bloom- 
ington Library  Association,"  and  gentlemen  were  made  eligible  to  office,  but  its  main 
features  were  unchanged.  By  the  act  of  incorporation,  the  Association  is  able  to  own 
real  estate,  manage  an  endowment  fund,  to  go  onward  and  forward  in  the  good  cause, 
and  take  such  rank  and  position  as  the  public  or  its  wealthy  members  may  in  the  future 
see  fit  to  award.  Probably  the  time  will  come  when  this  Association  will  possess  a  per- 
manent building  of  its  own,  and  an  endowment  fund  which  will  render  it  self-sustaining. 
The  first  officers  under  the  new  organization  were  elected  March  2,  1867.  David 
Davis  was  President ;  E.  M.  Prince,  Vice  President ;  Sarah  D.  Robinson,  Recording 
Secretary :  W.  H.  Stennett,  Corresponding  Secretary,  and  W.  M.  Hatch,  Treasurer. 
The  Board  of  Managers  were  composed  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  as  follows :  Mrs. 
Maria  Everly,  B.  F.  Hoopes,  I.  J.  Bloomfield  and  Mrs.  J.  A.  Jackman.  The  Trustees 
were  John  Magoun,  George  W.  Parke  and  John  M.  Scott. 

The  Library  has  always  been  one  of  Bloomington's  favorite  institutions,  and  it  has 
now  become  very  valuable. 

The  last  report  of  the  Librarian,  presented  at  the  annual  meeting  on  the  1st  day 
of  March,  1879,  shows  that  there  are  in  the  Library  7,464  volumes.  During  the  year, 
books  were  used  equal  to  taking  out  26,000  different  volumes.  The  Reading-room  has 
been  well  patronized,  giving  the  public  access  to  about  150  periodicals.  This  evidences 
the  great  value  of  the  Library  and  Reading-room,  and  its  managers  should  go  forward 
in  the  good  work,  trusting  to  the  future  for  further  additions  and  the  permanent  endow- 
ment so  earnestly  desired.  The  present  officers  are :  Dr.  C.  R.  Parke,  President ;  Dr. 
H.  Conkling,  Vice  President ;  B.  F.  Hoopes,  Treasurer ;  Charles  L.  Capen,  Corre- 
sponding Secretary;  Lewis  E.  Ijams,  Recording  Secretary;  Mrs.  H.  R.  G-alliner, 
Librarian.  The  Board  of  Managers  consists  of  Mrs.  Charles  Shackleford,  Miss  Sarah 
E.  Raymond,  Messrs.  Peter  Folsom,  S.  R.  Brodix  and  J.  H.  Burnham. 

WESLEYAN    UNIVERSITY. 

In  the  year  1850,  a  number  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Bloomington  began  to 
agitate  the  question  of  founding  a  university  complete  in  all  its  departments.  Illinois 
was  plainly  growing  in  importance  and  no  portion  advancing  more  rapidly  in  all  the 


elem<  ;  ing  m  b,  than  th< 

of  lln- 
tional  ud  .>ul'l  be  of  the  Brel  ordoi      T  ipli^li  1 1 » i  —  end,  the 

tir-t  H  >ard  of  Triwl  under  I 

D  \    l>    IE 

It  w.t-  .   thai  the  University  should  be  placed  under  tl)'-  tnunagrmenl  of  the 

Methodist  Church.     This  p  f  making  il  .  institu- 

tion, in  never  be  rendered  bul  i(  was  fell  thai  thi    i 

should  1><-  placed  in  careful  bands  and  und<  ind  since  tl.     ^l 

Ctiu  -  in  the  all  the 

■i  .1-  a.  |]  ireful   ii  menl   and  influi  i  the 


i 


ill  ill 


A  A. 


iM-im\     i\iMK«in 


I  niv. !  mfided.      It   was.  intended    thi  influeuoi    Bhould  I 

Christian  cl  bul  thai  students  of  all  denominations  should   find  a  home  within 

its  balk.     This  ides  has  I n  faithfully  carried  out      In  the  winter  of  1850  and   1851, 

nixed  under  the  intendenc)  of  II       R    A.ndrus    \    M..  in  the 

■  nl  of  th     M  •  Church. 

[mmediaU    mi  for  the  erection  of  a  suitable  building,  which, 

iii:m\  discoum  ;        I  and  school  opened  in  it  in  18!)™       In  July, 

l-."il    at  thi  annual  meeting  of  thi    Board  of  Trustei      K       J   bn    Den  D.D 

I  Nil  President       Phi  1 1  r-t  Annual  <  lomn  hi  M  on 

the  7th  of  July    1  ■  i  tli>   tii 


70 

Rev.  John  Dempster  having  removed  to  Evanston,  Rev.  C.  W.  Sears,  a  former 
professor  in  the  institution,  was  chosen  President  and  a  part  of  the  new  building  occu- 
pied; but,  shortly  afterward,  owing  to  the  uncertain  condition  of  State  finances  and  the 
stringency  of  the  times,  the  institution  was  for  a  time  closed.  Its  friends,  however, 
did  not  despair,  and,  after  securing  the  services  of  Rev.  Charles  W.  C.  Munsell  as 
financial  agent,  at  once  set  about  raising  the  necessary  funds  to  complete  the  building, 
liquidate  the  debt  and  re-open  the  school. 

The  institution  was  re-opened  by  the  Trustees,  who  elected  Rev.  0.  S.  Munsell, 
A.  M.,  as  President.  In  the  year  1866,  the  Methodist  Church  in  America  celebrated 
its  first  centennial  anniversary,  and  including  the  amount  of  $10,000  given  by  the 
family  of  Isaac  Funk  as  the  first  installment  for  the  endowment  of  the  Isaac  Funk 
Professorship  of  Agriculture,  the  friends  of  the  University  subscribed  over  $70,000  for 
endowment.  The  steady  increase  of  students  now  made  a  second  building  necessary, 
and  the  Trustees  proceeded  at  once  to  obtain  subscriptions  and  erect  an  appropriate 
building,  and,  as  a  result  of  these  labors,  a  fine  building  was  erected,  which  is  capable 
of  accommodating  500  students. 

This  structure  was  so  far  completed,  that  graduating  exercises  were  held  here  in 
June,  1872,  though  it  was  not  occupied  by  the  classes  for  daily  recitation  till  the  spring 
of  1873.  The  upper  portion  of  this  building  is  not  yet  fully  finished,  nor  has  the  entire 
cost  of  the  University  building  been  met,  there  being  a  debt  upon  the  same  which  the 
Board  of  Trustees  will  doubtless  soon  attempt  to  liquidate. 

The  new  college  building  is  beautifully  located  in  the  northern  portion  of  the  city, 
surrounded  by  an  area  of  nearly  ten  acres  of  luxuriant  greensward,  dotted  here  and 
there  with  clumps  of  forest  and  ornamental  trees,  making  all  in  all  a  most  picturesque 
effect.  The  main  building  is  a  splendid  example  of  architectural  beauty  and  symmetry, 
of  imposing  dimensions,  70x140  feet,  five  stories  in  height,  and  erected  at  a  cost  of  nearly 
$70,000.  It  is  pronounced  by  competent  authority  as  unsurpassed  by  any  similar  struct- 
ure in  this  State  in  point  of  external  elegance  and  internal  convenience.  It  is  the  finest 
looking  building  in  Bloomington.  The  first  floor  is  divided  into  eight  large  recitation- 
rooms,  arranged  and  furnished  after  the  usual  style  of  such  apartments.  The  second 
floor  is  occupied  by  the  library,  which  contains  a  large  and  carefully  selected  list  of  val- 
uable volumes.  This  apartment  is  also  used  as  a  recitation-room.  The  museum  contains 
a  varied  and  interesting  collection  of  specimens  of  minerals,  insects,  birds,  reptiles,  etc. 
Rare  and  valuable  additions  are  constantly  being  made  to  the  already  extensive  list.  The 
entire  eastern  half  of  the  second  and  third  floors  is  occupied  by  Amie  Chapel.  This  is 
so  arranged  that  it  may  be  converted  into  one  of  the  largest  auditoriums  in  the  city,  by 
removing  a  temporary  partition,  thus  throwing  open  the  galleries,  giving  a  seating  capac- 
ity of  1.200.  Regular  Sabbath  services  are  conducted  in  this  chapel  by  the  University 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  halls  of  the  Munsellian  and  Belle  Lettres  Literary 
Societies  occupy  the  third  floors.  The  halls  are  equal  in  size  and  similarly  furnished, 
in  a  neat  and  appropriate  manner  ;  their  walls  are  hung  with  pictures  of  society  mem- 
bers, the  Faculty,  graduates,  etc.  The  fourth  floor  and  basement  are  as  yet  unfinished. 
The  old  college,  which  stands  just  north  of  the  main  building,  is  brought  into  requisi- 
tion as  a  boarding-hall  for  young  men,  with  accommodations  for  forty.  The  commo- 
dious old  Major  College  building,  further  west,  has  been  rented,  remodeled  and  furnished 
for  a  dormitory  and  dining-hall  for  tke  accommodation  of  young  lady  students.     This 


71 

institution  is  prosperous  under  th<  th<    Women's  Educational  A-  a,  whioh 

i-  working  in  harmony  frith  the  University. 

In   L873,   K-  -.    0   S    Munsell   having  resigned,  K   ■    Samuel  Fallows,  l>    l>    was 
elected  President  ami  entered  upon  the  disch  hi-  duties  in  January,  1-7  1 

The  TiuBtees  non    added  ■   Law    Department   and  elected  a  Lav  Faculty,  which 
entered  immediately  upon  their  duties,  and,  al  the  Annual  Commencement  of  1875  w  is 
iduated  the  first  olasa  in  the  department  of  law. 

\i  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  in    1874,  bhej   idopted  the  i 
similar  to  the  London  University        Non-resident   Students  and   I'  Exam 

inations  which  bad,  during  the  year,  been  matured  by  the  Facultj  and  were  now  for  the 
first  time  laid  before  the  Board  for  adoption 


M  * .niK    lOI.I.KOI 


The  announcing  of  ■  definite  course  of  study   in  both  undergraduate  and   post 
luate  work  for  non-resident  students,  publishing  of  plans  for  examinations,  and  bold- 
•  i  iminations  and  conferring   degi  ly  on  examinations,  mark  an  era  in   the 

rj  of  the  University  in  advance  of  all  other  universities  of  the  West      The  a] 
ii  of  the  plan  has  been  shown  by  the  increasing  Dumben  Dtlemen  eminent  in 

scholarship  and  lit.  ran    reputation,  who  annually  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity 
thus  offered,  and,  after  a  thorough  examination,  I  eived  from  the  University  the 

highest  honors  known  to  any  univeraitj  on  this  continent.     The  year  of  1870  was  ran 
i  memorabli  on  iccount  of  the  admission  of  women.     The  question,  after  some  dis 
*ed  in  the  Faculty      The  resolution  to  open  thi  to  ladies  passed  the 

I  ikI.iI  by  the  patronisii     I  that  during  the 


72 

first  college  term  of  the  same  year  a  large  number  enrolled  their  names  and  entered  the 
several  classes.  The  number  has  steadily  increased  and  now  many  women  are  num- 
bered among  the  graduates  at  the  Annual  Commencements. 

LITERARY    SOCIETIES. 

Three  literary  societies  have,  since  their  first  organization,  been  well  attended,  and 
have  each  attained  a  good  reputation  for  oratory  and  elocution.  These  societies,  at  a 
cost  of  some  $4,000,  have  fitted  up  and  furnished  their  halls  with  the  finest  carpets  and 
appropriate  furniture. 

COURSES    OF    STUDY. 

Two  courses  of  study  are  pursued — the  classical  and  scientific.  These  require  after 
entering  the  college  the  same  length  of  time  for  completion,  namely,  four  years. 

In  1875,  after  the  resignation  of  Rev.  Samuel  Fallows,  D.  D.,  the  Board  of  Trust- 
ees called  to  the  chair  of  the  presidency,  Rev.  W.  H.  H.  Adams,  D.  D. 

During  the  year  1874,  a  society  was  organized  and  chartered  by  the  women,  under 
the  name  of  the  Women's  Educational  Association  of  the  Wesleyan  University.  The 
object  is  to  aid  young  women  striving  for  an  education,  and  second,  to  endow  a  chair  of 
the  same  name  in  the  University.  The  results  of  this  organization  are  the  opening  of  a. 
commodious  hall  on  the  Mt.  Holyoke  plan,  and  the  securing  of  a  considerable  amount 
for  endowment.  During  the  year  1875,  a  gift  of  810,000  was  made  by  Hugh  Meharry, 
Esq.,  of  Indiana,  to  apply  on  the  endowment  of  the  President's  chair. 

The  growth  of  the  University  has  been  steady,  and  now  its  halls  are  crowded  with 
students,  and  its  honors  sought  by  numbers  of  the  first  scholars  of  the  land,  whilst  the 
boundless  resources  of  Central  Illinois  and  the  growing  liberality  of  a  generous  and. 
wealthy  people  afford  great  promise  for  the  future  that  the  growing  wants  of  the  Uni- 
versity will  receive  ample  aid  ;  and,  on  the  broad  foundation  which  has  been  wisely  laid, 
will  be  built  up  and  sustained  a  university  of  the  highest  standing  in  all  the  depart- 
ments of  art  and  science. 

At  this  time,  the  Illinois  Wesleyan  University  has,  in  its  several  departments, 
the  following  Faculty  : 

LITERARY    DEPARTMENT. 

W.  H.  H.  Adams,  D.  D.,  President  and  Professor  of  Ethics  and  Metaphysics. 

H.  C.  DeMotte,  Ph.  D.,  Vice  President  and  Professor  of  Mathematics. 

G.  R.  Crow,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Latin  Language  and  Literature. 

J.  B.  Taylor,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Natural  Science  and  German. 

Sue  M.  D.  Fry,  A.  M  ,  Professor  of  English  Language. 

R.  R.  Brown,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Natural  History  and  Physics. 

S.  Van  Pelt,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Elocution. 

C.  M.  Moss,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Greek  and  Hebrew. 

COLLEGE    OF    L VW. 

R.  M.  Benjamin,  A.  M.,  Dean,  Elementary  Law. 

O.  T.  Reeves,  LL.  D.,  Torts  and  Equity. 

O.  W.  Aldrich,  LL.  D.,  Contracts  and  Real  Property. 

L.  Weldon,  Pleadings. 

A.  G.  Karr,  LL.  B.,  Evidence  and  Criminal  Law. 


p    \   Park      D  in. 

Flora  MM  i   1 1 . inn.. n\ 

I     .!.(  B    Humphi        \         I  lulture. 

I       l'i    .  •.        to     I  niveraity   is  oow  oom| I  of  teachers  of  largi    ei) 

many  of  whom  have  occupied  their  chairs  !'■:  i  •  lu-ir 

ripe  scholarship.     The   University,  under  their  direction,  has  reached   n  d< 
of  influei  Uimportan  ely  anticipated  bj    ii-  early   founders  and    patrons. 

During  the  year  1878,  an  :in  department  Ided       Mrs    Prol    Moss  was   placed  in 

l  lepartment,   though   the  lasl   added,   i-  Kteadil)   growing    i1 

iiu|  i 


w;- 


■  >l.l>     «  KM .»  \    \N     1    NM  t  IIM1  > 


Another  department,  that  of  medicine,  u  about   \<>  be  added   to  the  institution, 
making  it  more  thoroughly  deserving  the  name  of  University.     During  the  month  ol 

April,  1-7  ■       medical  col  which  Geo    A   Gridlej    was  el 

President  of  thi     B    rd         I    isti  President    Hewitl    of  Normal,  Vice  President ; 

W     II     II      Idams,  of  ill.     ^  -  Dr.  T.  F    Worrall,  Treasurer 

■••  I"-  uttai  lied  to  ill.   VVesleyan  on  a  similar  ("«•<■( i n ^  to  that  of  the  Law 
I      Tl  r  term  will  be  during  the  monthi        Woven  I' 

and    ;  :_v      Tl  ilv  \s  ill  occupy  I  tie  d  tubl  ol 

as  of  the  d  Litution.     The  followinj    P  Ipril  24 


74 

1879,  and  will,  probably,  the  most  of  them,  accept  of  the  positions :  Theory  and  Prac- 
tice of  Surgery — W.  Hill,  M.  D.  ;  Theory  and  Practice  of  Medicine — W.  A.  Elder, 
M.  D. ;  Anatomy— J.  L.  White,  M.  D. ;  Physiology— T.  F.  Worrall,  M.  D. ;  Materia 
Medica  and  Therapeutics— J.  Little,  M.  D. ;  Obstetrics — C.  T.  Orner,  M.  D.  ;  Mental 
and  Nervous  Diseases — A.  T.  Barnes,  M.  D.  ;  Diseases  of  Women  and  Children — R. 
Wunderlich,  M.  D. ;  Demonstrator  of  Anatomy — A.  H.  Luce,  M.  D. ;  Chemistry — C. 
■Owen,  A.  M. ;  Emeritus  Professors — A.  H.  Luce,  M.  D.,  George  W.  Stipp,  M.  D. 

TEMPERANCE. 

Bloomington  is  entitled  to  the  credit  of  being  one  of  the  first  places  in  the  West  to 
organize  a  temperance  society.  The  town  was  but  little  over  one  year  old  when  the 
movement  was  made.  Mr.  A.  C.  Washburne,  who  organized  the  first  Sabbath  school 
here,  took  the  first  step  in  the  great  work.  With  the  assistance  of  those  friendly,  he 
called  a  public  meeting  November  17,  1832,  at  4  in  the  afternoon,  at  the  schoolhouse. 
At  the  appointed  hour,  the  small  room  was  well  filled  with  an  interested  assemblage. 
One  of  the  two  physicians  of  the  place  made  rather  an  excited  speech  against  the  move- 
ment. He  complimented  Mr.  Washburne  by  remarking  that  he  had  no  great  fear  of 
the  weak  movement  now  being  made  in  itself  considered ;  but  there  was  something 
behind  the  curtain  which  he  feared.  He  said  the  people  "  away  down  East"  were 
sending  their  agents  out  West  and  all  through  the  country  to  form  Sunday  schools  and 
organize  temperance  societies,  and  these  were  all  tied  to  the  East  as  with  a  big,  long  cart- 
rope,  and  the  Eastern  people  thought  by  these  means  to  get  control  of  the  country, 
unite  Church  and  State,  and  then  woe  to  any  who  thought  and  acted  different  from 
them  !  He  was  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  express  his  views.  A  speech  of  this  char- 
acter was  not  anticipated,  and  the  temperance  movement  came  near  being  strangled  at 
its  birth,  as  the  public  generally  sympathized  with  the  objections  thus  eloquently  set 
forth.  Mr.  Washburne  had  prepared  a  constitution  and  by-laws  for  the  McLean  County 
'Temperance  Society,  and  also  a  temperance  pledge.  In  his  quiet,  unobtrusive  manner, 
he  circulated  this  pledge,  and  obtained  nine  names ;  but  there  was  too  much  excitement 
to  organize,  and  this  was  not  accomplished  until  December  15,  1832.  Mr.  Washburne 
was  the  first  Secretary.  Among  the  first  to  assist  in  the  temperance  movement  were 
Benjamin  Depew,  David  Trimmer,  Solomon  Dodge,  and  their  wives. 

The  first  temperance  lecture  was  delivered  February  3,  1833,  by  Rev.  Neal  John- 
son, of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church.  His  text  was,  "  Whether,  therefore,  ye 
eat  or  drink,  or  whatever  ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God."  Ten  more  signatures  were 
then  obtained  to  the  pledge,  and  the  temperance  bark  was  fairly  launched  in  Blooming- 
ton,  as  the  Society  soon  numbered  two  hundred  members.  This  Society  lived  and 
prospered,  doing  a  good  work,  until  the  time  of  the  great  Washingtonian  movement, 
about  the  year  1840,  which  took  its  place,  bringing  to  the  temperance  cause  an  army  of 
new  workers,  carrying  its  banners  higher  up  the  walls,  where  they  have  ever  waved 
triumphantly.  Among  those  who  gave  vigorous  assistance  in  the  latter  movement, 
we  may  mention  Jesse  W.  and  Kersey  H.  Fell,  Dr.  John  F.  Henry,  Dr.  W.  C.  Hobbs, 
A.  J.  Merriman  and  many  others. 

This  Washingtonian  temperance  movement  created  great  interest  and  accomplished 
a  vast  amount  of  good.  It  was  successful  in  appealing  to  men  by  moral  suasion,  and  is 
always  referred  to  as  that  era  of  the  temperance  reform  which  has  been  entirely  free 
from  all  objections. 


Iii  the  earl]  pari  .>f  1842,  (In-  Washingtonian  movement  I  ill    h<-\. 

inl.it  this  time  there  was  formi  I  i  juvenile  temperan  which  inoluded 

ohildran  in  Bloomington      I'   ippeared  to  the  adults  i-  if  then  ild 

rtainh  '1  i  awaj  vritfa  the  traffic  in  intoxicating  -Iriuk  -  in  ismuoh  as,  if  the  <  - 1  *  i  I  Iren 
Rrm,  there  wonld  be  none  who  would  demand  these  indulg    i  On  tl      I" 

July,  1842,  the  juveniles  had  a  oelebration  and  picnic  at  th  where  u  the 

oorner  of  Center  snd  W  which  was   an  m   of  great    public   inl 

tanong  the  boys  of  thai  day  who  took   part,  we  have  the  name*       J   :.'>    I.    I 
I:  berl   \.  Miller,  John  W.  Allin.  Charles  Lander  and  John  W    Haggard.     The  sfl 
r I » i  —  juvenile   movement,  added  to  the  regular  Washingtonian   influence,  lasted    t'"r 
irs,  and  oarried  the  temperanoe  banners  l>i_'li  ap  on  the  walla  of  morality  :» n«J 
r.t".  Tin  .  but,  in  time,  these  lost   their  noveltj  iety  musl   be  ipon  in    i 

different  manner,  though,  in  the  interim,  the  cause  «t  is  gr<  itly  depi 

\    .ut  the  year  1848,  the  Sons  ol  Temperan  organisation,  with  Dr.  W 

C    Hobbe  as  the  firs!  Worth)  Patriarch,  oommen I  th  work  which  was  kepi  op 

for  i   lii.u i \  years.     Among   tli —  who  took  :i  prominent   part   in  this,  wen    R 

u     Minier,  I'r    K.  Thomas,   \   T.  Brisooe   ind  John   M    Scot!      Through  the 
labors  of  the  members  of  this  order,  a  large  Dumber  of  drunkards  were  reformed,  and 

in  various  directions  the  temperanoe  movement  was  kept  alive  :ui'l  in  g 1  hands.     In 

the  year  1850,  tl.  -  not  :i  saloon  in  the  city  of  Bloomington,  showing  us  tl 

w<  re  up  and  'l"iu_' 

w  i  do  not  profess  to  write  a  full  bistorj  of  the  tempi  ranoe  work  of  Bloomington, 
i-  onr  spaoe  is  too  limited.  The  materials  exist  for  an  history  of  this  matter  that  shall 
) t'  intense  interest,  and  of  great  local,  we  may  almi  of  great  national,  impor- 

tance, as  here  in  Bloomington  have  originated  Beveral  highly  important  projects  in  the 
_    '1  cause,  wl  rrying-out  became  of  national  interest.     Furthermore,  while  tl 

materials  of  history  exist,  they  are  very  difficult  to  obtain.     The  cause  of  temperanot  is 
lik.-  that  of  the  Christian  r.-liLri- 't>  in  this  respect,  that  it  is  found  in  variety  ■  •( 

shapes  :i  n  •  1  methods;  in  other  words,  it  has  taken  upon  itself  the  most  remarkable  forms 
in  th<    wai   of  organisations      Hut   unlike   Christianity,   which    is   historically   trai 
through  the  varii  ■  and  societii —  the  cause  of  temperanoe  seems  to  run  through 

the  most  wonderful  changes      \-  — n  as  one  particular  form  of  labor  has  lost  its  inl 

•    the  public,  the  friends  of  temperanoe  re  organise,  and  are  found  laboring  in  a  dif- 
ferent manner      Hence,  we  find  it  impossible  to  trace  properly,  in  the  short 

the  history  of  the  different  forms  and  in  whioh  the  friends  of  temperanoe 

have  I  ganised      We  have  mentioned  a  few  of  these,  but  we  cannot  dwell  upon 

the  Temple  of  Honor,  an  Order  rather  higher  than  the  last-menti id,  or  trios  the 

history  of  all  the  various  temperanoe  societies  intervening  between  tb<  -    I  and  181 

We  should  mention  that   when  tl  Law  excitement  swept  over  the  land  in 

i   tnd  1855,  it  found   Bloomington  people  read)  to  take  hold  and  do  their  shai 
tl,  Society  irred  deeply,  and  ev<  r. 

nr>-  what  the   friends  of  the  movement  believed  would  bt  to  the  I 

interest  of  thi  These  efforts  culminated  in  1855,  bj  tl lection  of  a  full  anti 

li. .        i       Council,  with  Franklin   Price  foi   M      r.     A  sti 

--.•■I.  anil  i  m  tni-ii'l"U«  •  fl'ort  to  enforce  it  \v  months      -       »ns 

wp-  raided  bi  the  oiti  officers;  1  i< j w ir-  poured   into  the  street*,  and  a 


prosecutions  ensued  that  wax  wary  rxpensive  to  the  city,  as  well  as  vexatious  and  pro- 
voking to  all  concerned.     In  the  end.  the  city  government  adopted  the  license  system  and 
adhered  to  it  for  many  years.     In  all  probability  the  anti-license  ordinance  would  have  been 
sustained,  and  Bloomington  would  have  remained  permanently  on  that  side  of  the  question. 
:br  the  immense  increase  in  population  which  took  place  here  during  these  day; — 
from  1554  tc  185    — when  the  new-comers  were,  many  of  them,  p-ersons  who  were  little 
mpathy  with  the  people  who  had  long  been  living  here,  and  who  had  been  laboring 
•  _r:her  in  the  temperance  cause.     About  the  year  1S57.  the  order  of  Good   Templars 
rga     :         nd  again  t:  -  :aething  of  a  revival  of  temperance  effort.    During 

the  war.  this  or:  allowed  to  disband,  but  before  its  close  it  again  re-organized,  and 

from  the  year  1865  1     >"  -      tremendous  power  in  Bloomington,  and  it  is  even 

yet  in  a  _  for  future  usefulness.     At  one  time,  there  were  several  different 

lodges,  at  least  three  being  in  operation :  while  at  the  same  time,  as  in  truth  we  may  as 
well  star  -  -  he  case  from  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  first  se:ret  temper- 
ance lodge  in  15-tS — there  were  in  existence  powerful  societies  :  a  public  nature,  all 
laboring  in  the  same  good  cause. 

While  Bloomington  people  were  at  work  in  the  local  temperance  field,  they  did  not 
get  that  in  this,  as  in  thecau-r    :  Christianity.  "  the  field  is  the  world."  and  they  took 
part  in  wider  enter]  ;>  -       We  furnish  from  the  pen  of  John  W.  Haggard,  a  hi- 
our  city's  connection  with  the  organization  of  the  National  Prohibition  Party. 

_        f  Deeembe      1868  --  -kate  Convention  met  at  Bloomington.  for  the  pur- 

pose of  eonsiderir  _  i  aus  of  the  case.  and,  if  possible,  to  adopt  some  additional  and  better 
modes  of  action  than  had  heretofore  been  employed.     This  was  one  of  the  largest  and  most  en- 

-  ever  held  in  Illinois.     After  discussing  the  question  nearly  a 
into  political  action,  and  they  proceeded  at  once  to  appoint  a 
S    lie  Central  Committee,  and  provide  all  the  machinery  of  a  modern  political  par:j 

Z  he  _■   ::onal  Prohibition  Party  was  first   organized  at  Chicago.  September,  18  n  the 

1872,  the  second  National  Convention  met  at  Columbus.  Ohio,  and  put  in  nomi- 
nation for  P:  and  Vice  President.  James  Black,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  John  Russell,  of 
jiigan.  The  ticket  received  about  seven  thousand  to:-- 
7  be  third  '•  uional  Convention  met  May  17  1876,  at  Cleveland.  Ohio,  and  nominated  Green 
Clay  -:..;i  of  Kentucky,  and  G  8  e wart,  of  Ohio.  They  received  about  thirty-five 
thousand  t  withstanding  old  party  lines  were  closely  drawn,  and  the  party  lash  more 
Tigoroosly  plied  than  for  many  years  past,  whereby  thousands  of  Prohibitionists  were  led  to  be- 
lieTe  it  their  duty  to  Tote  one  or  the  other  for  the  purpose  of  "  saving  the  country. 

In  the  fall..:    1877    we  had  State  tickets  in  eight  or  nine  States,  and  polled  about  six  ty 
thousand  Totes,  showing  a  healthj  steady  growth  from  the  beginning.  The  same  ratio  of  increase 
in  ten  years  from  this  date  giTe  us  control  of  the  National  GoTernment  and  a  majority  of  the 
- 

.  in  the  following  States,  to  wit:  Maine,  New  Hampshire. 

Massachusetts.   Connecticut,  Rhode  Island.   New  York,  New  Jersey,  Maryland.  Pennsylvania, 
Keatnca  Michigan.  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Iowa,  Nebraska.  Kansas  and  Missouri, 

with  several  others  yet  to  follow  this  year. 

Tha-  -.-.  the  day  when  the  liquor  traffic  shall  be  OTerthrown,  is  the  prayer  of 

j  consistent  temperance  man  and  woman  in  the  land. 

On  the  16th  of  March,  lr.74.  the  Woman  -  T-inperanee  Leagu-    ■  -     :_.nized  in 

Mr-   Jennie  F.  Willing  was  first  Presidec."  Mi--  Mary  Dear.    B         ary. 

and  Mrs.  M.  D.  Marqui-    T: -isurer.     The  above-named  organization  co-operating  with 

the  Good  Templars,  and  with  all  temperance  bodies  in  Bloomington.  obtained  a  vote  of  the 


This  artioi: 
and  pravi'rtul  deliberation       I "'. •■•■    tn 

•  in  the  different  w.ir.l-.     The  majorit)  I 
20tl  Ipril.  1874.     0 

I  held  •      - 

lv    in   favor  of  license,  the   Council 
prohibit    • 

li  an  ordinance  as  th 
kt  libert  under  the  State  law  in  <iu 

force  tl  a  montl 

t<«  the  «>]il   system  nf  li     ■  -         l 

show  that  for  tlii—  year  the  number  of  an  lrunk<  i 

in  the  fbh\  ur 

In  the  latter  part  ol  the  mmmi  r  .<t'  1874,  ■  tit  from 

the  temperance  women  of  [Hit  i   the   result  «  (J  the 

Woman's  Christian  Tern]  Union  iniied  hen       Our 

in  the  narrow  field  of  Bloomington  <li<l  not  forget  tl 
of  lalmr.  ami  tl         -    sted  in  organizing  ■  mi  i  rehensh     S 

T(  n.-  □   of  the  S  S         • .  which 

■  hold  in   most  of  the  prominent   towns  in   thi-   S 
Christian   Tempei   •        Dt  B     mingi  n  is  tl  spring  of  the 

k  in   Bloomington.  and  k.<  •  itchful, 

-  nt    President    is  Mrs    Creg        it-    Vrice   I'r  -  -   Mrs.  G.  1! 

Merchant  -  and  Mr-  James  Winslow  is  1 

In   1875,  this   S  number  of  the  ohildren  of  the 

into  t       S    r  Temperance   Union,  and,  in  all,  nearij  two  thousand  I 
me  meml    rs,  riple  obligation — abjuring  intoi 

and  refraining  from  profanity.     The  strength  nt*  tlii-  -  such  that,  a-  in  lvi 

-  as  if  th.  n  might  be  a  tempera)  The  fit 

tin-.-  Mrs.  G.  H.  R  I  Dr.  Sithem  holds  tl  ion      Prom 

-  now  a  uniformed  company  of  boys  !       ■ 

tutiful  appearam 
In  Ma\     1875         Hired  at 
"      World       It  w 

di    thirty-thi       5  he  Union,  and   - 

Canadian   D  I.     Th 

Kngl  ind,  "N  md,  Bcrmud     ind  oth 

hat   the  tempei  B        lington  han  It 

i«l  28th  M 

vsihility 

a  full 

king  tl  -ur  Iri-li  i  iti/.  :i-  t 

Jul  temi  '■ 


78 


(r 


Society,  and  the  St.  Patrick  Total  Abstinence  and  Benevolent  Society,  are  both  stron 
organizations,  and  are  doing,  perhaps,  as  much  good  as  any  others  in  our  city. 

We  will  close  our  sketch  with  a  brief  mention  of  the  "  Washingtonian  Club," 
which  was  organized  May  25,  1876.  This  Club  is  a  very  remarkable  institution.  Its- 
success  in  rescuing  drunkards  and  moderate  drinkers  from  their  impending  fate,  has 
endeared  it  to  the  hearts  of  our  citizens.  The  society  leaped  into  life  and  power  with 
wonderful  rapidity.  In  the  fall  of  1876,  it  rented  the  auditorium  of  the  old  Methodist 
Church,  and  there  it  holds  weekly  meetings,  frequent  social  gatherings,  and  constantly  meets 
lor  Sabbath-afternoon  lectures.  It  has  saved  hundreds  of  the  victims  of  intemperance, 
and  has  accomplished  a  wonderful  amount  of  good.  As  far  as  the  human  eye  can  see, 
this  organization  is  entitled  to  stand  at  the  head  of  all  agencies  for  good  now  in  opera- 
tion in  Bloomington,  not  excepting  our  churches  or  other  organizations. 

From  this  society  influences  for  good  have  radiated  in  all  directions.  Other  clubs 
have  been  formed  in  this  State,  organized  upon  a  similar  basis,  and  under  the  same  name. 
The  Bloomington  club  is  known  as  the  Washingtonian  Club  No.  1.  Mr.  A.  B.  Camp- 
bell, one  of  its  prominent  members,  has  devoted  the  past  two  years  to  lecturing  and 
laboring  throughout  this  State.  He  is  a  powerful  speaker,  and  has  acquired  a  very  envi- 
able name. 

Our  Club  has  increased  so  that  it  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world.  Its  member- 
ship is  now  5,460.  The  President  is  Joseph  0.  Pullen  ;  First  Vice  President,  M. 
Mclntire ;  Second  Vice  President,  J.  H.  Sprague  ;  Treasurer,  G-.  H.  Read  ;  Secretary, 
B.  W.  Mason.  Its  Trustees  are  William  W.  Ives,  Henry  M.  Waite,  Arthur  J.  Means 
and  N.  N.  Winslow.  Its  Chaplain  is  R.  A.  Curtis.  Its  first  President  was  Dr.  George 
S.  Smith  ;  Vice  President,  Mrs.  C  H.  Waite ;  William  Munger,  Secretary  ;  Mrs. 
Hattie  Allin,  Assistant  Secretary ;  John  Magoun,  Treasurer.  Mr.  Magoun  gave  the 
organization  of  this  Club  his  hearty  co-operation  and  assistance ;  and,  but  for  his  aid,  it 
might  not  have  become  established.  The  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union  are 
entitled  to  much  of  the  credit  for  the  inauguration  of  this  movement,  over  which  they 
have  kept  a  watchful  care  ever  since  its  organization. 

In  all  the  years  that  have  passed  since  the  organization  of  the  McLean  County 
Temperance  Society  at  the  little  log  schoolhouse  in  1832,  the  cause  of  temperance  has 
passed  through  most  wonderful  changes.  Whenever  a  particular  form  of  organization 
has  lost  its  charm ;  when  the  novelty  has  left  it,  we  find  the  movement  has  taken 
another  shape,  and  the  great  cause  has  on  the  whole  gone  forward  and  upward  better 
than  ever  before.  This  historical  record  should  be  an  incentive  to  all  who  are  now 
engaged  in  the  work.  From  it  they  can  see  their  way  clear  to  labor  unceasingly  in  the 
good  cause — confident  of  final  success. 

NURSERIES. 

As  early  as  1848,  fruit  trees  were  sold  in  Bloomington  by  Robert  Fell,  and  about 
the  same  time  by  Nelson  Buck.  There  may  have  been  something  done  before  this  on  a 
small  scale,  but  it  was  not  until  after  this  that  Bloomington  became  widely  advertised 
as  a  tree-growing  point.  Dr.  Schroeder  was  perhaps  the  first  to  make  his  busines 
known  to  the  outside  world,  more  particularly  in  the  line  of  grapes,  which  were  not 
cultivated  in  this  neighborhood  with  much  success,  until  he  made  the  public  aware  that 
the  climate  would  admit  of  the  production  of  the  grape.       Dr.  Schroeder  was  one  of  the 


earliest  to  advertise   Bloomiogton  as  a  nureery  town,  and  his  circulars,  sements 

articles  in  newspa]  I  his  enthusiasm  it  horticultural  and  pomological  conventions 

itributed  largely  t"  make  known  the  fact  thai    Bloomington  was  the  center  "t  th( 
Im-iii. —      II'    il.'vrvo  tn  he  classed    imon^  the  foremost  in  this  branch  of  Blooming 
t.ni  -  development. 

In  tin  year  1854,  Mr.  V  K  PhoBnix,  then  from  Delavan,  Wis.,  made  a  beginning 
nf  tin-  famous  nureeries  that  have  bo  long  been  ;i  credit  in  his  energj  and  an  adverti 
in,  hi  to  Bloomington.  II'-  saw  that  tin-  completion  of  tin-  two  new  railroads  th< 
building  would  give  Bloomington  shipping  facilities  that  rendered  it  an  important  point 
for  tin-  busini  ss  Be  embarked  his  means  and  carried  on  bis  transactions  on  ■  gigantic 
At  times  he  employed  over  two  hundred  nun:  and  during  the  height  of  his 
business,  from  1866  t"  1870,  hi-  Bales  were  imm<  II'-  had  as  many  a-  -:x  hundi 

res  under  cultivation,  and  engaged  in  the  Bale  of  nurserj  Btock,  > * ■  •  1 1 1  at  wholesale  ami 
ill.  including  Bet  ds,  plants,  trees,  and  everything  that  could  I"-  desired  in  tin-  line  of 
business.     Other  nurseries  were  owned  here  by  different   parties,  amounting,  in  ih- 
gate,  tu  almost  as  muoh  more, and  Bloomington  became  known  all  over  tin-  United 
is  the  •  Rochester  of  tin-  West."     Probably  no  one  single  busini  bs  Ii  is  carried 
tli.    name  of  Bloomington  t"  a-  many  homes  as  did  that  of  Mr.  Phmnix,  advertised  in 
cearh  all  tin-  publications  of  tin-  land. 

''  ceived  here  from  all  tin-  countries  where  tin-  English  language  is 

spoken,  and  often  from  other  part-  of  the  world.     It  was  a  heavy  loss  t"  Bloomington 

ami   Normal,  ami  a  BOUTCe  of  public  regret,  when  thi-  business  began  t'.  fall  off  in   1'. 

i     1-7'.'.  ami  it  is  feared  we  -hall  never  Bee  it  as  flourishing  again.     Tin-  rapid  incre 
of  nurseries  in  towa,  Kansas  ami  Missouri,  explains  tin-  changed  state  of  affairs.     Tin 
I'lnt'iiix  nurseries,  Dr.  II    Schrceder's, P.  A.  Bailer's, J.  D,  Robinson's, and  Beveralothi 
an    -till  engaged  in  the  business,  which   is  even  yet  one  of  considerable  importan 
What  has  been  Btated  in  relation  to  the  PhoenLi  nurseries,  applies  to  Normal  Township, 
re  in  that  town ;  but  from  having  been  called  the  Bloomington  nui  jo  long 

I  hot  in  sjnuk  uf  thrin  iii  the  history  of  the  latter  corporation. 

.  o  \i. 

The  tir-t  blacksmith's  coal  used  in  Bloomington  was  teamed  from  Danville,  Peoria, 
or  tome  distant  point.     No  one  dreamed  of  finding  coal   under  our  -"il  until  scientific 
legists  conceived  the  idi  a  from  their  knowledge  of  the  formation  of  the  crust  of  the 
rth,  taken  in  connection  with  what  science  taught  from   the  appearance  of  the  coal- 
bearing  strata,  at  places  where  coal  was  mined  on  the  Burface,  as  at    Danville  and  pis 
along  the  Illinois  River      For  a  longtime,  science  made  but  little  headway  in  convin- 
cing <>ur  citisens  when    to  look  fox  coal,  and   train-loads  of  the  article  arrived  from 
Duquoin  from  Peoria  and  La  Salle     Lecturers  on  geology,  among  whom  was  Pi  if  C. 
W  ilber,  for  manj  years  in  charge  of  the  museum  at  the  Normal   University,  continued 
t"  teach  the  publio,  ami  the  newspapers  aiding  them,  it  was  finally  decided  to  bore  foi 
The  first  attempt  was  made  in    1863,  in  a  field  west   of  the  Chicago  &   Alton 
B  Lilroad  shops,  where  dwelling  houses  fa  •  been  constructed.     The  <'it_y  Council 

|2  '"i".  and  quite  a  Bum  n  1  by  private  iption,  all  under  the  Buperin- 

tenden       I    Eli  IB  rbei      The  men  who  did  the  boring  could  ran  a  machine  of  that 
•!.  hut  could  ti"t  ti-ll  what  their  au  I  through       V  lown  over  fit 


80 

hundred  feet,  the  most  they  could  report  was  having  passed  through  a  black  shale  slate, 
and  in  which  it  could  not  be  possible  coal  existed.  The  trouble  seemed  to  be  that  their 
auger  mixed  the  coal,  sand,  clay  and  other  material  most  inextricably,  and  there  was  no 
such  thing  as  ascertaining  what  was  discovered.  Of  course  our  citizens  were  dis- 
couraged by  the  result,  and  coal  was  still  imported  at  enormous  figures.  There  were 
many  of  our  people  who  were  firmly  of  the  opinion  that  uoal  would  be  found  by  boring 
with  suitable  tools,  and  another  effort  was  made  in  1866,  this  time  entirely  by  private 
subscription.     The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  subscription  paper  : 

Bloomikgton,  111.,  May  28,  1866. 
We,  the  undersigned,  agree  to  pay  on  demand,  to  John  Magoun  and  C.  W.  Holder,  or  order, 
the  sums  set  opposite  our  respective  names,  for  the  purpose  of  prospecting  and  boring  for  coal 
in  or  near  the  city  of  Bloomington,  said  work  to  be  commenced  within  ninety  days  from  this 
date.  The  amount  so  collected  and  paid  to  John  Magoun  and  C.  W.  Holder  to  be  by  them  dis- 
bursed for  the  securing  of  the  above  object.  If  coal  is  found  in  paying  quantities,  the 
company  formed  for  mining  purposes  shall  re-imburse  the  subscribers  by  giving  them  stock, 
money,  or  coal  as  they  elect.  If  coal  is  not  found  in  paying  quantities,  the  money  shall  be  lost 
by  the  respective  subscribers. 

There  were  many  other  subscribers  who  gave  money,  amounting  to  $1,700,  of 
which  about  $1,200  was  paid.  Boring  was  commenced  at  once,  near  the  present  city 
well. 

November  15,  1866,  when  at  the  depth  of  160  feet,  the  drill  was  lost,  all  attempts 
to  recover  it  having  proved  fruitless ;  and  it  is  an  historical  fact  that  the  auger  still 
remains  in  that  "  bore."  The  money  was  expended  ;  the  tools  lost ;  the  public  gener- 
ally took  a  very  desponding  view  of  the  situation ;  coal  continued  to  be  shipped  into 
Bloomington  at  the  rate  of  20,000  tons  per  year,  and  the  coal-mine  owners  at  points 
then  supplying  Bloomington  were  in  great  spirits. 

But  a  few  energetic  young  men,  whose  names  deserve  to  be  written  among  the 
benefactors  of  our  city,  who  had  been  watching  the  operations  with  careful  attention, 
conceived  the  idea  that,  with  proper  care  on  the  part  of  those  who  managed  the  auger, 
after  the  experience  gained  in  the  two  former  attempts,  success  would  be  almost  certain, 
and  they  boldly  undertook  the  third  trial,  in  the  face  of  an  almost  despairing  public  senti- 
ment, asking  no  aid  from  any  and  using  their  own  money.  Their  operations  were  con- 
ducted with  great  care,  at  an  expense  of  $1,300,  and  the  result  was  that  coal  of  a  good 
quality  was  discovered,  at  a  depth  of  302  feet,  on  the  27th  day  of  February,  1867. 
These  gentlemen  were  Thomas  J.  Bunn,  Judson  L.  Spaulding,  Dr.  H.  C.  Luce  and 
James  L.  Ridelhuber. 

History  compels  us  to  add  that  they  never  made  any  money  out  of  the  North 
Shaft  Coal  Company,  which  they  organized  in  June,  1867 — another  reason  why  their 
names  should  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance. 

Before  this  coal  company  had  been  long  in  existence,  a  second  was  formed,  in  1807, 
and  a  shaft  put  down  near  the  crossing  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  and  the  L,  B.  &  W.  R. 
R.,  where  the  McLean  County  Coal  Company  is  in  successful  operation.  Their  shaft 
is  now  540  feet  in  depth,  and  they  employ  200  men.  During  the  past  winter,  this 
company  has  furnished  coal  of  a  good  quality,  at  the  shaft,  at  the  wonderfully  low  price 
of  $1.50  per  ton.  This  company  is  an  immense  advantage  to  Bloomington  and  to  all  the 
surrounding  country,  and  should  be  encouraged  in  every  possible  manner.  It  is  one  of 
our  most  worthy  enterprises,  being,  in   fact,  the   employer  of  a   larger   number  of  men 


-1 

than  any  company  in  the  pla  ipt  one,  to  Bay  nothing  of  the  great  advantages  it 

-  in  keeping  the  price  of  ooal  down  to  raoh  remarkably  low  figures 
('"nlil  our  first  settlers  have  imagined  the  day  would  ever  oome  when  ooal  would 
bo  mined  ander  their  feet,  and  Bold  at  snob  prices,  they  would   bave  had  vastly  m 
faith  in  the  Future  of  this  rich  oountry,  of  which  the  worst  that  oould  then  I"-  said  ■ 
that  it  contained  little  fuel,  and  that  on  that  aooount  it  would  sustain  but  a  Bmall    popu- 
lation.     This  company  raises  as  muoh  as  five  hundred   tons  in    twenty-four  hours 
extra  occasions,  though  its  average  daily  out-put  is  about   two  hundred   tons.      During 
the  year,  its  sales  amount  to  over  sixty  thousand  tons,and   its  pay-rolls  in  the  winl 
bod  often  ex         -  i  0,000  per  month 

WATER. 

For  many  years  after  the  settlement  of  Bloomington,  do  one  supposed  the  town 
could  ever  obtain  a  supply  of  water  for  public  purposes.  Rival  cities  with  a  visible 
supply  of  muddy  river-water,  have  delighted  in  taunting  Bloomington  with  it-  con- 
dition in  this  respect.  Various  were  the  expedients  devised  and  talked  of  for  obtaining 
■  supply  of  water  sufficient  to  meet  the  public  demand.  One  engineer,  eminent  in  his 
profession,  with  a  national  reputation,  proposed  the  most  feasible  scheme  that 
devised,  which  was  nothing  less  than  a  pipe  all  the  way  from  the  Mackinaw  River  to  the 
high  ground  north  of  Normal,  where  a  reservoir  could  be  made  that  would  force  the 
water  all  over  the  city  of  Bloomington.  Another  project  was  to  "impound"  the  water 
of  the  low  ground  northeast  of  the  city,  by  building  a  dam  and  thus  retaining  the  Bur- 
iter  in  a  pond  that  might  answer  all  purposes,  .similar  to  the  Jacksonville  plan. 
This  would,  of  course,  render  the  neighborhood  of  the  pond  unhealthy;  would  be 
very  expensive  and  would  not  insure  good  drinking-water.  The  dry  year  of  1854 
caused  preal  distress  tor  water  in  this  part  of  the  State,  and  Bloomington  people  r 
very  much  exercised  with  fears  that  the  location  and  building  of  their  rapidly-grow- 
ing  city  might  after  all.  have  been  a  serious  mistake.  We  find  thai  a  public 
meeting  was  called  July  "_':;.  L854,  when  Mr.  .1.  \V.  Fell  offered  the  following  resolutions 
which  were  unanimously  adopted  after  a  discussion,  in  which  the  mover,  Judgi  D 
Dr.  Fr. —  and  others,  participated. 

Rftohfd,  That  a  oommittee  of  five  be  appointed,  whose  duty  it  shall  be — having  previ 
associated  with  them  one  or  more  persons  of  practical  skill  in  hydraulics  and  civil  engineering 

to  institute  an  examination  on  the  following  propositions,  to  wit :     1st.  The  practicability 
obtaining  at  Sugar  Creek,  or  al  any  other  point  or  points,  in  or  near  the  city,  an  adequate  sup- 
ply of  pure  water  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and  for  all  want-  of  the  community.     2d.  The  I 
method  of  elevating  the  same    should  a  supply  be  deemed  advisable)  t.>  a  reservoir  of  sufficient 
wjity  to  be  Located  on  the  public  square,  or  al  some  ether  suitable  point  in  the  central  pari 
of  the  city,  whenoe  it  may  be  drawn  off  to  meet  the  want-  of  the  community.     Sd.  The  proba- 
ble attending  the  execution  of  such  a  Bystem  of  hydraulics  ;  and  lastly,  the  best  m  t 
of  defraying  the  expenses  incident  to  suofa  an  undertaking :  and  the  probable  length  of  time 
iplisbment. 

.    That  in  the  execution  of  the  duties  intrusted  ti  mmittee,  they  be  author- 

Ice  whatever  surveys  and  examinations  may  be  i  ••  ;  and  that  the  Mayor  and 

City  Council  be  respectfully  req  nrith  them  and  provide  the  ui  <n- 

the  expense  attending  the  same. 
8  i    rhat  t  iM  committee  be  requested  Lo  proceed  with  all  practicable  dispatch  in  the 

soution  of  tie  iei  that  they  report  the  result  of  their  examinations 


82 

City  Council  or  to  a  public  meeting  hereafter  to  be  called  by  them,  or  both,  as  they  in  their  dis- 
cretion may  deem  most  expedient. 

Resolved,  That  we  recommend  our  City  Council  to  build  six  or  more  cisterns  at  suitable 
points  in  Bloomington,  to  hold  200  or  250  barrels  each  :  provided,  the  city  does  not  adopt  the 
hydraulic  system  of  obtaining  water. 

The  Chair  appointed  the  following  persons  as  committee :  Jesse  W.  Fell,  J.  W. 
Ewing,  F.  K.  Phoenix,  James  Allin,  Sr.,  and  William  Wallace. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  question  of  proper  water  supply  has  long  been  before 
the  public.  Tn  the  twenty  years  intervening  between  this  public  meeting  and  the  final 
solution  of  the  problem,  a  great  variety  of  projects  have  been  discussed. 

It  appears  that  in  digging  the  coal-shaft  which  was  first  sunk,  the  one  northwest  of 
the  city,  a  vein  of  water  was  encountered  of  great  volume — so  powerful  that  the  first 
attempt  was  abandoned — and  a  success  only  made  after  moving  a  few  rods  and  procuring 
very  heavy  pumping  machinery.  This  discovery  led  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  Com- 
pany, in  1869,  to  dig  in  the  vicinity  a  well  which  struck  the  same  vein,  and  proved  suf- 
ficient to  supply  the  immense  amount  of  water  needed  for  that  large  corporation.  From 
this  time  the  attention  of  our  citizens  generally  was  turned  to  that  point,  and  public 
opinion  finally  settled  on  the  advisability  of  attempting  to  obtain  the  city  supply  by 
digging  a  well,  and  experimenting  still  further  with  that  wonderful  underground 
reservoir. 

In  the  summer  and  fall  of  1874,  at  the  end  of  a  series  of  four  very  dry  seasons^ 
the  City  Council  made  the  attempt.  It  proved  remarkably  successful.  The  water, 
found  at  a  depth  of  only  forty  feet,  was  sufficient  to  keep  three  powerful  engines  busyr 
whose  united  efforts  threw  a  solid  six-inch  stream,  which  removed  the  water  as  fast  as 
it  flowed  into  the  well.  On  Christmas  Day,  1874,  the  whole  population  that  wished, 
examined  the  fountain— the  well  having  been  finished  the  day  before.  As  a  sample  of 
what  had  been  discovered,  the  engines  were  kept  at  work,  throwing  the  water  in  a  stream 
which,  as  it  flowed  off,  was  equal  to  a  good-sized  brook.  There  was  but  one  opinion, 
and  that  was  that  the  fountain  was  large  enough  to  justify  the  erection  of  a  system  of 
water  works ;  and  in  the  summer  of  1875,  the  stand-pipe  was  erected,  200  feet  high, 
an  engine  and  pump  placed  in  position  at  the  well,  two  miles  and  a  half  of  pipe  laid  in 
the  streets,  and  a  full  sytem  of  water  works  inaugurated,  which  has  since  been  enlarged 
by  additional  pipes  and  more  machinery.  The  total  cost  of  the  whole,  up  to  April  30T 
1878,  has  been  $86,944.83.  This  includes  about  eight  miles  of  water-mains,  the 
engines  and  machinery,  the  stand-pipe,  four  drinking-fountains,  seventy  hydrants  and 
everything  connected  with  the  Water  Department. 

The  water  is  of  a  medicinal  nature,  rather  heavily  charged  with  mineral  deposits, 
but  is  very  healthy  and  much  liked  by  those  who  have  been  using  it  for  any  length  of 
time.     Its  value  to  the  city  can  only  be  reckoned  by  millions. 

The  Water  Board  consists  of  Peter  Rockwell,  J.  W.  Trotter  and  John  W.  Evans. 
M.  X.  Chuse  is  Superintendent. 

The  present  city  well  is  on  the  same  tract  where  the  first  coal-shaft  was  attempted, 
which  enterprise  in  reality  demonstrated  the  existence  of  our  valuable  supply  of  water. 

MANUFACTURES. 

In  tracing  the  early  history  of  manufacturing,  we  shall   be  quite  brief.     We  will 
mention   that  the  first  machinery  of  which   we  read,  appears  to   have  been   a  "  dog 


poe  Miller,  the  first    wheelwright,  in   the  man 

wli  •■  U      He  was  h  rein  I-  11.  ind  probabl)    n    I  this  maehin  II 

athe    in   Bloomington  ear   1835       3eth    Bal 

owned  the  first  saw-mill.     Hi-  machinery  wan  propelled  by  oxen  i  I  mill      This 

mu^t  li  1832         -  Solomon  Dodgi   ran  the  first  oorn  mill  about  this 

time,  also  impelled  by  the  patient  ox.     Perhaps  we  should  exoep(   the  "  oorn-cracker," 

.  •  ■,  Dr    Baker  in  the  winter  of  1830  and  1831,  at  the  time  of  the  Deep   9 
This  mill  was  on  his  farm  in  Bloomii  in  running  ord 

date     There  were  also  other  "hand"  corn-mills,  as  well  ai  horse-mills  in   Bloomii 
(Jr  rlier  than  either  of  the  above-mentioned      It- •.    E    Rhod 

i-  said  t<>  haTe  had  ■  "  hand  corn-mill  ly  as    l^_'l.  and,  by  th  r  of  1831 

and  1832     tl  fter  the  Deep  Snow  -there?  reraJ  "horse-mills  "at  the  Qiw 

It  wonld  be  pleasant  if  we  were  able  to  follow  the  improvement!  thai   hare  taken 
p  .  •  in  the  last  fifty  i  return  to  the  spinning-wheels  of  Bloomin      G  tnd 

exhibit  them  with  the  finest   machinery  in  our  modern   looms  impare  the  bom 

made  ha  and  w len  plow  of  the  pioneer  with  the  j>- »li—li*-«l  implements   turn.- 1  onl 

if.  by  Brokaw  and  Walton,  or  to  bring  the  old  ox-oart  and  i  .  «n  into  oom- 

parison   with    Ferre's  phaetons  and    Matern's  buggies.     I4ut  we  must  pass  to  i  hat 
examination  of  what  we  find,  leaving  oomparia  ins  to  the  reader. 

The  Ch  I  Alton  R  tilroad  '  lompaoj  'a  shops  are  our  most  w  irthy  manufactories 

and  Bhall  be  first   examined.     But   \'<>r  these,  one-fifth   of    Blooming  population 

business  to-day      The  company  generally  pays  out  eaoh  month  the 
0,000  to  about  700  men.,     No  wonder  that   Springfield  offered   to  exohanj 
thi    B        Capitol  for  this  single  manufactory  I     The  establishment  is  full  ind  complete 
— will  tun  erything  needed,  from  a  locomotive  of  the   heavi  finely- 

finished  an'l  elegantly-upholstered  Bleeping-car,  while  anything  in  use  by  the  company, 
be  it  t  pump,  :ui  engine,  a  oar  or  a  wind-mill,  can  be  repaired  bj  the  ingenious  workmen 
with  the  fine  machinery  of  the  different  departments.     When,  in  the  autumn  of  185 

the  tir-t  train  of  can  on  tlii-  road  entered  Bloomington   from  the  South,  tl nterprise 

-  infancy      There  had  been  do  less  than  fimr  separate  oompaniea  own: 
line  from  Ohi  -  its,  and   there  was  little-   to  indicate  the  future  enormous 

proportions  <>f  tin-  Chic  <!    Louis    Railroad.     The    [llinoia   Central,  which  had 

n  the  topic  of  con  a  in  [llinoia  t '•  >r  more  than  fifteen  years,  waa  looked  u] 

the  only  r.iilr. >:i< I  of  importance.     Bloomington   bad  made  an  <-tlnrt  to  secure  what 
the  remarkably  valuable  machine  and  repair  shops  of  that  company, 
1  bad  seen  itself,  in   1852,  beaten  by  the  insignificant   town  of  Wapella.      I 
tendon  of  men  lik--  Jamea  A  I!  in.  Jesse   W    Fell,  A   Qridley,  W    II     Mlin  David 

men  of  ■!  sound  judgment     waa  at  once  turned  to  the  little  "  Alton 

1  aa  the  ne*  line  waa  at  first  called,  then  the  "Chicago  &  M 

Railroad,"  and  th  rmined  the  railroad-shops,  hoping  that  in 

the  future  it  i  row  into  a  large  establishment.     They  t""k  -•  this  i  ad  early 

in  185  m  making  a  donation  to  the  company  for  thi>  purpose,  and  tl 

lo  the  -  ■  Tl  ful  and  a  tr i<-t  "t*  land  of 

be  railroad  company  for  railroad  pur|  This  land 

mnded  on  I  by  the  track,  >»n  the  north  bj  the  township  line,  on  tl 

tic ii  lin  i  il. ir  in  -haj  i       [t  il         bis  spot  that  final  >h 


84 

were  built,  but  it  bas  been  greatly  enlarged.  On  the  east  side  of  the  track,  the  piece 
of  land  bounded  on  tbe  west  by  the  track,  on  the  east  by  Catharine  street,  and  south  by 
Chestnut  street,  the  site  of  the  old  passenger  depot,  was  also  donated,  the  whole  having 
been  paid  for  by  the  gentlemen  named  above,  with  others,  and  deeded  to  the  company 
by  W.  H.  Allin  with  full  warrantee  deeds,  for  the  sum  of  S3.  In  all  there  were 
over  seven  acres. 

During  the  years  1853  and  1854,  the  shops  needed  for  the  little  railroad  company 
were  built,  and  a  beginning  made  in  the  great  enterprise  of  which  we  are  now  so  proud. 
These  were  added  to  from  time  to  time,  so  that,  in  the  year  1858,  nearly  two  hundred 
men  were  employed  in  the  different  departments.  As  the  business  of  the  road 
increased — the  different  pieces  of  the  road  being  consolidated  into  one  corporation — the 
shops  were  enlarged  four  times,  until  at  the  time  of  the  fire,  November  2,  1867,  nearly 
as  many  men  were  employed  as  there  are  now.  These  buildings  were  not  well  arranged, 
however,  and  that  event  compelled  the  company  to  face  the  j>robleni  of  permanent  con- 
struction. Plans  were  prepared  carefully  during  the  winter  following  the  fire,  for  the 
best  system  that  could  be  devised,  taking  into  account  what  was  then  needed,  and  con- 
sidering the  probable  increase  of  business  of  the  present  road  and  the  possible  growth 
from  future  consolidations  with  other  railroads,  and  the  result  is  seen  in  the  splendid 
shops  now  finished. 

At  the  time  of  their  construction,  there  were  no  railroad  shops  west  of  Altoona, 
Penn.,  that  surpassed  these  in  Bloomington ;  but  in  the  last  few  years  it  is  possible 
they  may  have  been  equaled.  The  ground  upon  which  the  old  shops  stood  at  the  time 
of  the  fire  was  not  large  enough  for  the  needs  of  the  present  establishment,  and  before 
the  new  works  were  commenced  the  company  obtained  quite  an  addition,  and  secured 
from  the  city  the  closing  of  streets  and  alleys  that  were  in  the  way.  The  conditions  of 
rebuilding  here  in  Bloomington,  in  preference  to  removing  the  shops  to  Springfield, 
Joliet  or  Chicago,  were,  that  the  additional  ground  should  be  furnished  and  those  streets 
and  alleys  vacated  by  the  city.  This  was  agreed  to  by  the  City  Council ;  but  before 
the  matter  could  be  consummated  legally,  considerable  time  must  elapse,  and  hence  there 
was  doubt  whether  the  city  might  be  able  to  accomplish  all  that  was  desired.  In  order 
to  insure  this,  a  guarantee  was  signed  by  nearly  all  the  leading  citizens  of  Blooming- 
ton, agreeing  that  all  should  be  done  as  desired. 

The  space  occupied  by  the  company  for  shops  and  tracks  is  equal  to  forty  acres. 
Here  we  find  more  than  a  dozen  very  large  buildings,  in  which  are  carried  on  the 
immense  operations  of  the  company.     Among  the  principal  shops  we  will  mention  : 

The   Car-Shop 263  by  80  feet. 

Planing       "    200  by  75     " 

Paint  "    170  by  75     " 

Dry-House 63  by  19     " 

Foundry 180  by  60     " 

L 50  by  40     " 

Blacksmith-Shop 200  by  75     " 

Boiler-Shop 160  by  60     " 

Machine-Shop 260  by  100     " 

Machine-Shop  Addition 50  by  45     " 

"  "  "       80  by  45     " 

Old   Machine-Shop 270  by  40     " 

Rolling-Mili  (wood) 132  by  57     " 

Old  Roundhouse 240  feet  in  diameter. 

New  Roundhouse 240    '•  " 

Storehouse 120  by  60  feet. 


g 

\     ;li.-.  buildings,  except  the  rolling-mill  and  the  nl<i  machine-shops,  are  t >n i  1 1  <<f 
;.  i  Btone,  have  iron-trussi  1  with  slate,  and  leveral  of  1 1 1 « -  larg 

r  u.  stories  high.     Beside  the  above,  then  >1  smaller  buildings,  the  pattern-shop, 

•  nndrj  snd  n  vera!  others      Taken  ;ill  in  all,  it  is  seldom  we  find  inch  i  magnifl 
,'.  oolleotioD  of  manufacturing  establishments  as  are  here  grouped  together  upon  the 
and  in  land  belonging  to  the  company.     These  shops  are  filled  with 

the  finest  and  mosl  substantial  machinery  that  can  be  Pound.     One  can  form  some  id 
of  this  from  the  -imj>li'  statement  that  in  the  blacksmith  shop  there  are  lit'i\  I  ad 

it  st4  un  trip-hammers,  the  latl  _-lit  to  fifteen  hundred  pounds      Several 

the  largest  and  most  powerful   Bteam  engines  in  the  West  are  in  constant  use  to  pi 
pel  the  ponderous  machinery  of  the  different  departmei  the  pumping-engine, 

which  forces  water  from  the  company  -  magnificent  well,  is  s  large  engine      These  dif- 

nt  structures  were  over  two  years  in  building,  having  been  finished  nearly  as  tl 
now  stand,  about  the  beginning  of  the  yeaT  1870.     When  the  machine  shop  is  rebuilt 
to  correspond  with  those  now   in  use,  the  appearance  of  the  whole  will  !"•  superior  t" 
anything  ol  the  kiml  in  the  State. 

II.      tl     company  are  able  to  build  locomotives  and  cars,  or  to  repair  the  same 
doing  ;ill  portions  of  the  complicated  work,  and  they  employ  some  of  the  most  ingenious 
and  skillful  mechanics  that  <-:m  be  found.     The  presence  here,  in  Bloomington,  of  the 
large  number  of  intelligent   mechanics,  foremen  and  superintendents   required,  lia-  :i 
very  elevating  and  beneficial  effect  upon  1 1  • « ■  city      Bloomin  a   boast   of  thi 

shops  and  of  their  occupants,  thej  being  the  most  important  and  valuable  of  anything  in 
the  t  la*'-.     Their  sise  and  industry  entitles  the  city  to  be  classed  as  a  manufacturing 

■  i       Here  :ir.-  employed  t'r>>ni  sis  hundred  to  nine  hundred  men,  the  number  vary 
ing  with  the  condition  of  the  company's  business 

Among  the  company's  officers  who  have  been  prominent^  identified  with  1 1 » » -  mate- 
rial development  of  HI nington  in  the  past,  we  may  mention  Hon    Hamilton  Spencer, 

I. ,  1860 ;  Charles   Roadnight,  Treasurer  in  1858 ;   Mr    R    Parki     ^gent  in  1864 ; 

A  - 1   II     M 8uj    rintendent  for  several  years     .1     A    Jackmao,  Superintendent  of 

Machinery  from  1864  to  1879;   Rufus  Reniff,  Superintendent  of  Car-shops  from  1861 
Matthew   I.    9  Drain- Dispatcher ;   William   Hughes   and    \.   Moulton, 

of  the  I r. »n  Departments;  0   Vaughan,  present  Assistant  Superintendent,  and  there  are 
qually  deserving  of  mention. 

Ii  has  always  been  the  policy  of  the  oompany  to  retain  ■_■ I  men  in  any  position 

v  are  fitted  fS  r,  ;iti-l  th<  re  are  a  I:itl:<-  numb  r  of  the  officers  Bnd  employ*  -  who  ha 
urly  twenty  years      Taken  as  a  olass,  the  railroad  employ  much 

■  rior  t'>  tli'  ■  in.  chanios  of  the  country,  and  their  presence  in  Bl     mington  in 
such  large  numbers  adds  largely  to  the  characb  r  of  our  populatii  n 

The  Railroad  Company  it  monthly  a  \  sum  of  money,  which  enl 

once  into  circulation,  giving  lit'<-  and  reliable  activity  t"  the  retail  trade  of  Bloomin 

t'.n  and   furnishing  constant  proof  of  the  value  of  thi>  imm<  iblishm<  i  I       I  he 

policy  of  the  companj  toward  mir  <itv  i-  quite  liberal,  it-  maim  that   tlnir 

int.  h  to  ma  i  a  matt 

poration       $     eral  illustrations  of  thi  will  have  b<  n  in  tl 

the  most  important  l>«- i n l:  it-  liberality  in  assisting  in  macadamising  thi  from  the 


86 

freight  depot  to  the  Court  House  square,  and  also,  in  1878,  in  assisting  the  city  in  the 
pavement  of  Washington  street. 

The  whole  policy  of  the  company,  under  the  management  of  President  Blackstoue 
and  Manager  McMullin,  has  been  liberal,  one  evidence  of  which  is  seen  in  the  share  the 
company  is  taking  in  the  great  work  of  underdraining  the  farms  of  Central  Illinois. 
This  tile-drainage  improvement  marks  a  new  era  in  the  development  of  this  country 
almost  equal  to  the  invention  of  the  harvester,  and  this  railroad  has  been  carrying  tile 
for  farmers'  drains  at  the  simple  cost  of  carriage,  or  at  less  than  cost,  thus  being  willing 
to  perform  its  share  in  one  of  the  most  important  of  our  modern  agricultural  improve- 
ments. 

The  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  Company  ranks  among  the  foremost  corporations  in 
the  country  in  its  care  of  its  rolling-stock,  and  has  been  one  of  the  readiest  to  adopt 
new  improvements.  Could  the  full  history  of  these  shops  be  written,  as  at  some  future 
time  we  hope  it  will  be,  we  should  all  be  astonished  at  the  record  of  valuable  inventions 
that  would  be  presented.  We  might  mention  Renin0  &  Buttolph's  Patent  Ventilator, 
President  Blackstone's  Car-coupler,  and  many  others,  but  must  leave  this  subject  with 
one  more  reference — that  of  the  Pullman  Palace-Car.  In  1859,  George  M.  Pullman 
arranged  berths  in  two  cars  for  the  use  of  this  company,  and,  in  1863,  he  manufactured 
here  the  first  two  palace  cars  ever  made.  They  cost  $18,000  each.  It  is  said  that  the 
frame-work  of  the  first  sleeping-car  Pullman  ever  made  is  now  lying  by  the  side  of  the 
railroad  in  Bloomingtoh. 

We  might  add  that  the  total  cost  of  these  magnificent  shops  is  in  the  neighborhood 
of  $1,000,000,  and  that  they  are  owned  by  one  of  the  wealthiest  corporations  in  the 
Northwest.  The  Chicago,  Alton  &  St.  Louis  Railroad  now  owns  or  leases  876  miles  of  road, 
having  built,  in  the  year  1878,  162  miles,  giving  it  a  completed  line  from  Chicago  to 
Kansas  City.  The  repairs  of  this  immense  road,  with  its  several  branches,  being  mostly 
concentrated  at  this  one  point,  demand  an  amount  of  labor  that  will  be  more  likely  to 
increase  than  diminish. 

The  agricultural  development  of  this  region  has  received  great  benefit  from  the 
railroad,  the  reaper  and  the  plow — the  last  being  an  implement  of  more  importance  than 
the  present  generation  can  realize  possible.  The  railroad  and  the  reaper  are  understood 
by  all,  but  the  advantages  of  our  modern  self-polishing  plows  are  imperfectly  realized, 
except  by  our  old  settlers.  The  new-comers,  down  to  about  1845,  brought  plows  with 
them,  and  various  styles  were  in  use,  but  none  of  them  would  work  well  in  our  fine 
prairie  soil,  and  the  cultivation  of  the  land  was  toilsome  and  imperfect.  It  was  impos- 
sible to  plow  but  a  few  rods  without  a  stop  for  the  purpose  of  clearing  the  implement  from 
the  accumulation  of  soil.  Cast  iron,  wrought  iron  or  wood  were  almost  alike — worthless 
— and  for  many  years  our  farmers  despaired  of  ever  seeing  the  right  plow  for  this  soil. 

Lewis  Bunn  was  one  of  the  first  blacksmiths  here,  and  made  plows  as  early  as 
the  year  1833.  He  tried  to  make  the  best  plow  that  could  be  devised.  In  the  year 
1838,  he  made  a  lot  of  the  "  Sprouse  "  pattern,  which  had  a  boiler-iron  mold-board, 
placed  at  such  an  angle,  that  the  heavy  friction  of  the  soil  would  u  scour"  them  better 
than  any  previously  in  use.  These  plows  had  the  handles  and  wood-work  much  like  a 
"shovel"  plow,  and  did  not  run  steady — were  "jerky"  and  severe  on  a  team.  The 
next  year  they  were  improved  by  a  different  attachment  of  the  beam.  Mr.  Abraham 
Brokaw  made  the  wood-work  of  these  plows  for  several  years.     In   1840,  Mr.  Bunn 


made  the      Rathb  a<      i     i      in  impro\  -the  mold-board  a 

bat  the  implement   was  m  i ■  1  \       The  m  1  in 

.  I  '    .  er   Ellsworth   was  M  r  thi- 

time,  and  U>*reth<  r  the}    1 1 1 1  •  1  ■  ■  !!Ou  uf  tl  tliliciin-   pl<m  manufacturing 

tin'  tin 
I  ii   1842,  the  firm  made  the      I  or  "  P  hioli 

i  board  ground,  bul   do!  polished.     Tl 

3  farther  impr  tad  by  the  year   l-ii  and   1845  thi 

demand      Farm  listances  Par  tl  time  the 

arm  rented  a  large  paatare  in  whioh  teams  were  kept  while  waiting  their  turn-       \- 
time,  it  was  fully  demonstrated  thai  plowi  < ©old  be  made  that  would  work  freely  in 
any  soil,  and  the  result  wai  a  very  decided  improvement  in  the  cultivation  of  pre 

Bunn,  Ellsworth  and    Bi  tributed  lar  ■   the 

\     in  the  ye  ir  1  B59,  these  three  men  wen!  into  partnership  together,  and 
tinae  I  several 

It  was  doI  till  1857  thai  these  steel  mold-boards  ilished  perfectly,  and  - 

thai  date  the  improvements  in  plows  have  been  of  comparatively  little  im| 
\      it  the  year  1845,  is  th<  when  practicable  plows  oral  oame  into 

to  be  found  upon  all  oar  farms  have  been  abl  irtain. 

The  pl<  j  of  Abraham  Brokaw,  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Market,  are  am 

tides!   in  Central   [Uinois.      Mr    B.  has  been  in  the  business  nearly  fori  and 

toquired  s  splendid  reputation       Be  employs  from  twenty  to  forty  men      John  T 
Walton,  who  started  in  business  in  1857,  employs  over  twenty  men  in  the  busj 
sad  makes  •  large  variety  ol  the  different  plows  and  culti  quired  by  the  W< 

and  Southern  trade.     His  business  is  carried  on  in  th'-  fine  block  fronting  on  Washing- 
ten  street,  josl  f  tfa     People's  Bank. 

Th«  unaller  plow-shops  in  the  city,  the  several  repair  and  .  to  be 

found  in  a  town  like  Bloomington,  with  machinists,  boiler-makers  and  other  iron-work- 
who  ample  e  number  of  men. 

There  are  several  large  wood-working  establishments,  of  whioh  some  of  the  n 
important  are  those  of  J    W    I  v.  ins,  and  the  ind  can  I.    I 

I.    Mi':.    9    I  iiiil  othi 

One  of  the  most  important  manul  .■.iuin_ri-.ii  i-   I'r.  ('    Wak 

11  as  one  of  the  most  interesting      Dr.  Wakefield  s| 
-  in  this  place  at  7   having  1  hool  teacher  in  th<  Orend 

trict      He  then  lived  in   De  Wit!  County  until    1850,  when   be  m 
Di    Zera  \  I.  who  died  in  1848,  had  remark 

in  dem  ml  over  i 
■    Witt  ( lountj .      His  i 
in    184H    many  |  and   i  demand  M'l''.v  whiol 

I'r   C    Wakefield   moved   from    De  Witt  County  and  .  in  BI 

II'. 

I'r    W    built  the  Brut   thi            .  brick                                                  with 

ind   di  •                                                  II- 

..  In> 


88 

business,  until  it  is  now  a  large  and  very  convenient  establishment.  Here  he  manufact- 
ures a  variety  of  medicines,  mostly  fever  and  ague  specifics,  balsams,  cough-sirups,  pills, 
etc.,  in  all,  about  ten  different  remedies,  and  a  number  of  essences  and  other  prepara- 
tions. In  their  preparation,  great  care  is  taken  to  secure  the  purest  and  best  ingredients, 
and  the  result  is  that  his  medicines  rank  with  the  best  that  are  offered  to  the  public. 
They  are  sold  largely  in  the  States  of  Illinois,  Indiana,  Missouri,  Kansas,  Nebraska  and 
Iowa,  while  there  is  a  good  demand  in  all  the  Western  and  Southwestern  States.  He 
has  a  team,  with  a  fine  wagon,  in  six  of  these  States,  and  thus  keeps  a  watch  over  the 
territory  through  salaried  agents,  while  he  has  over  six  thousand  local  agents,  mostly  drug- 
gists and  dealers,  who  sell  his  medicines  on  commission.  He  employs  from  twenty-five 
to  fifty  hands,  according  to  the  season.  He  has  four  printing-presses,  run  by  steam- 
power,  by  which  he  prepares  his  advertising  matter.  In  1860,  he  got  up  100,000 
almanacs  for  his  agents  to  circulate,  and  he  now  sends  out  1,500,000  annually.  He 
consumes  nearly  fifty  tons  of  printing-paper  each  year. 

"  Wakefield's  Almanac  "  is  thus  one  of  the  best  known  of  any  of  Bloomington's  pub- 
lications. At  the  present  time,  this  carries  the  name  and  fame  of  Bloomington  over  a 
wider  area  than  any  other  medium.  It  is  printed  in  the  English,  German,  Nor- 
wegian and  Swedish  languages. 

This  business  is  conducted  in  a  straightforward,  honorable  manner,  and  is  one  of 
the  instrumentalities  by  which  our  city  is  always  favorably  spoken  of  abroad.  Such 
men  as  Dr.  Wakefield  are  the  ones  who  have  built  up  the  reputation  of  Bloomington  ; 
and  we  are  glad  to  see  they  are  honored  at  home.  He  has  always  been  one  of  our  most 
liberal  citizens,  being  among  the  foremost  in  all  public  enterprises.  The  amount  of 
capital  employed  in  the  business,  including  the  building,  presses,  engine,  the  stock  of 
medicines  on  hand  here,  and  the  very  large  amount  in  the  stores  of  his  6,000  agents  i& 
over  $150,000. 

There  are  several  manufactures  of  light  articles  such  as  brushes  and  overalls,  and 
there  are  the  usual  variety  of  miscellaneous  artificers  to  be  found  in  our  best  Western 
cities.  It  is  probable  that,  in  the  line  of  these  light  manufactures,  Bloomington  will  in 
time  become  quite  an  important  point. 

In  past  times,  our  distilling  interest  was  quite  important,  but  the  building,  which 
stood  on  the  bank  of  Sugar  Creek,  west  of  the  fair  ground,  was  destroyed  by  fire 
several  years  ago  and  has  not  been  rebuilt. 

The  Bloomington  Pork-Packing  Company,  now  consisting  of  Van  Schoick,  Win- 
slow  &  Tryner,  have  been  established  since  1872.  During  the  past  season,  they  have 
packed  over  13,000  hogs,  and  given  employment  to  over  forty  men.  They  have  very 
materially  advanced  the  interests  of  Bloomington.  This  establishment  is  one  of  the 
most  important  in  Central  Illinois. 

We  should  also  mention  our  breweries,  which  employ  a  large  number  of  men. 
The  tile-factory  of  N.  B.  Heafer  &  Co.,  situated  in  Bloomington  Township,  a  mile 
southeast  of  the  city,  is  one  of  our  most  important  manufactories,  and  is  rapidly  extend- 
ing its  business.  It  is  one  of  the  very  few  in  the  West  with  first-class  facilities  for  dry- 
ing tile  in  the  winter. 

Besides  the  establishments  enumerated  above,  there  are  a  large  number  equally 
deserving  of  mention,  but  space  forbids.  There  are  also  a  very  large  number  of  small 
shops  and  establishments  that  employ  in  the  aggregate  many  men,  including  the  usual 


Tvietj  of  industries  to  be  Pound  in  auj  city  situated  like  this  in  ■  fine  agricull 

tritt      Taken   altogether,  we  have  quite  large  manufacturing  inl  in  Bloonington, 

which  Been  like))  i  with  the  growth  of  the  West.     Oui 

be  found,  Water  ie  •  i-il\   obtained,    ami  we  possess  an  iridiistrimi*   an  iple. 

ral  of  our  manufacturing  establishnents  are  spoken  of  in  our  chaj 
••  I  Dcorporab  d  ( !otnpanic8." 

Ml! 

The  first   milli  in   this  locality  were  the  old  horse-mills,  "corn-ci  thej 

Jled,  followed   or  accompanied   by  the  "  n  head     hone-mills,  for   grii 

a  ly,  which,  when  rifted,  made  i  kind  of  flour,  the  "best  to  I"-  had,"  ind 

i  as  ch«  erfullj  as  possible.     •  > I  flour  was  made  onlj  at  distant  water-mills,  and 

Mr  Janes  Allin  and  hi-<  aasoci  <f>  -  in  the  !  B  VI  and 

d  steam   flour-mill.     A  wind-mill,  owned  by  Gridli  Covel, 

!i<  i  ot  Oak  and  Market,  is  mentioned  as  among  the  early  institution' 
Eloomington      8  »w  mills  were  built  here  at  >.  r  i  i  •  - 1  c 

went  th<  wa\  of  all  saw-mills,  upward  in  snoke.     Steam  :n-i  mills  were  ool  much  more 
fbrtunan  J  being  burned  from  firsl  to  last       kmong  those  burned,  we  will  men- 

tion M  mill,  on  South    Main  Btreet,  and  one  owned  bj  ES.  R  which  burned  in 

18G4,  situated  just  east  of  the  Dlinois  Central   Depot.     Bloomington  can  now  I.... 

-  any  in  the  W<  si      The  total  capacity  of  all  our  flour-mills  is  about  three 
hundred  and  tit'tv  barrels  per  day. 

FIRES 

October  16,  1855,  occurred  a  large  fire,  where  Phcenix  Block  and  other  buildings 
now  stand.     It   -wept   over  nearlj  the  whole  Bquare  bounded  \>\  Front,  Main.  \\ 

ington  and  Cent  The  loss  was  estimated  at  from  $8 I, I.     The 

Moliean   County    Bank   and  the  building  adjoining,  subsequently  used  by  Dietrioh  A 
Brad  i  hardware  store,  both  nearly  new  buildings  at  that  tine,  were  the  only 

of  importance  that  escaped      The  four-storj  building   now  called    I'hn-nix    Block 
from   the  ashes   verj    speedilj      September   v.  1856   afire   occurred  on    I 
which  d<  ity  to  the  value  ol  >0      In   September,  1871,  a  large  tire 

consumed  buildings  on  the  east   ride  of  Main  Btreet,  north  ol  North   -•  V";-' 

m  t<>  tin-  value  of  $60,000      October  31,  1867.  the  Chi*   go  &  Alton   R 
Shops  burned,  a  loss  to  tne  <  lonpanj  of  at  least  $100,000      During  the  year  1-77.  the 
eit\  s  entire  loss  bj  fin  -     -  35  .  insun 

PI  iti.h      i'i 

The  follow  tement  of  the  debt  oi    B      mingi   n 







hould  be  dedui  is  unk 

f  back  i  n  hich 

•\  tin   stntcmi  nt  th.it  the 

I  84 00    i  -urn  that  i-  h  to  I..  s,,,i,,  u  li.tt  • 


90 

but  not  so  large  as  a  "  larger  debt,"  to  use  Abraham  Lincoln's  homely  illustration. 
May  1,  1867,  the  actual  debt  of  Bloomington,  exclusive  of  school  debt,  was  only  $6,497, 
but  the  votes  for  railroad  aid  taken  in  1867,  of  themselves,  added  over  $200,000  to  the 
township  and  city  debt  in  that  year. 

SEWERS. 

When  Bloomington  was  laid  out,  the  low  ground  now  known  as  the  North  Slough 
was  properly  named,  it  being  wet  and  marshy,  as  was  also  the  South  Slough,  now  called 
Pone  Hollow;  but  these  were  at  the  time,  so  far  from  the  village  plat  as  to  be  thought 
valuable  for  drainage,  and  were  considered  a  long  distance  out  of  town.  But  the  city 
spread  itself  in  all  directions,  soon  overleaped  these  obstacles,  and  than  went  back  and 
occupied  the  low  land,  now  become  dry  ground,  through  which  meandered  a  little  stream, 
with  a  deep  bed  and  high  banks.  These  water-courses  have  cut  so  deep  that  they  have 
been  sufficient  to  carry  off  the  water  without  overflow,  ever  since  the  wet  season  of  1858. 
The  land  adjacent  has  been  closely  occupied  by  residences  and  manufactories  for  many 
years.  The  city  has  now  commenced  to  build  a  sewer  through  each  of  these  tracts. 
The  northern  one  is  now  completed  from  Main  street,  nearly  to  its  western  outlet  at  the 
main  branch,  and  the  southern  one  has  been  commenced.  When  these  are  finished,  our 
whole  city  will  be  of  equal  value  for  building  purposes. 

PUBLIC   BUILDINGS. 

The  Court  House  will  be  spoken  of  in  the  history  of  the  county,  and  we  will 
merely  mention  here  that  it  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  State,  was  commenced  in  1868, 
and  cost  entire,  furniture,  sewer,  heating  apparatus,  iron-fence,  sidewalk  and  all,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  $400,000.  Prices  were  then  very  high,  and  it  is  probable  the  same 
would  now  cost  about  $250,000.  The  Jail  is  at  the  corner  of  Market  and  Center 
streets,  and  was  erected  in  1857.  It  should  at  once  be  replaced  by  a  more  suitable 
structure.  The  city  owns  two  steam  fire-engine  houses,  which  answer  all  purposes,  but 
are  not  particularly  ornamental.  During  the  year  1878,  the  new  City  Hall  was  erected  at 
the  corner  of  North  and  East  streets  ;  total  cost,  building  and  lot,  was  about  $14,000. 
It  is  a  fine-looking  structure,  considering  its  small  cost,  and  will  be  used  as  a  City  Hall 
and  City  Prison.  The  public  school-buildings  will  be  described  elsewhere.  They  are 
the  most  important  of  the  public  buildings  owned  by  the  city.  The  Wesleyan  Univer- 
sity, which  may  be  considered  as  a  public  building,  is  really  the  most  beautiful  structure 
in  Bloomington. 

INCORPORATED    COMPANIES. 

Bloomington  has  never  organized  as  large  a  number  of  incorporated  companies  as 
many  Western  towns  have  done  in  the  past.  There  have  been  several  failures,  and  there 
are  several  companies  now  in  existence  ;  but,  as  a  rule,  our  citizens  have  not  depended 
on  "  by-laws  "  and  "  charters  "  for  aid.  There  was  a  Bloomington  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
pany, which  comprised  our  best  citizens,  and  was  honorably  and  fairly  conducted ;  but, 
after  doing  business  from  1867  down  to  1870,  it  honorably  withdrew  from  the  field. 
We  ought  to  mention  the  Bloomington  &  Normal  Railroad  Company,  which  has  been 
of  great  benefit  to  the  two  cities  connected,  but  never  a  paying  venture  to  the  company. 
The  line  was  built  in  1867,  and  its  total  cost  has  been  about  $60,000. 

The  Bloomington  Manufacturing  Company,  which  purchased  Flagg's  factory  in 
1865,  after  a  successful  general  business,   was  succeeded  in   August,    1873,    by   the 


mington   Furniture   Manufacturing  Compaoj       I'         impany  '  five 

men  in  its  ah  >pa,  and  furnishes  amp  r  one  hundred  men    women  and 

children  in  this  oily  who  take  materiala  to  their  hornet;  while  i 
more  t"  different  reform  itory  inatitutiona  t"  keep  ;  The 

work  itofthi  .  is  the  oaning of  th  rhioh  thia 

linn  1 1 1 . v - .  ii    patterns.     Ii  manul  r  thirty-fit 

chairs  per  annum,  oonsuming  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  thotu  black 

nut  lamber,  maoh  ofwhioh  oomee  from  the  » of  McLean  Cou  ■  il  is 

rhia  oompany  ia  of  gr<  i  the  laborin  •      mington, 

among  whom  it  disburse*  aboul  1100  per  day      Thoogh  the  wag  uude 

wurk.  teems  small,  it  mnsl  he  remembered  thai   m  iel  of  1 1 1 imploycd  h  ive  no  other 

>f  employment  open,  and  would  otherwise  remain  idle.     Thi    Pi   sident  "i  the 
oompanj  is  Peter  Wnitmer     9      etary  and  Manager,  I    P    I     I,  who  haa  been  in  office 

1873.     The   Directora    ire   P.  Whitmer,   K    II    Pell,    E.  B   3i  B    l 

II     pes,  P.  Polsom,  C    Wakefi  Id  and   I    R    ECrum.     This  company  has 
from  the  start,  an  1  appears  to  demonstrate    Bloomington'a  ability  to  carry  on  manul 
uring  at  :i  i >r.  »f i t 

The  People's  Bank  is  another  ful  company,  which  haa  built  one  of  the  fii 

buildings  in  the  city.     It  1  1  all  the  financial  storms  ofth  n<l  is 

-i r« »n<_r  in  the  oonfidei f  th<-  community.     Peter  Wnitmer  i-  the   President,  and 

William  Ollis,  Cashier, 

Th.    National   Bank  of  Bloomington  was  organised  soon  after  the  pas  the 

national  banking  act,  on  the  23d  of  January    1865,  and  has  been  in  operation 

[t  is  th  jor  of  the  Bank  of  Bloomington,  whioh  was  organised  in  1857 

an  institution  with  ;i  proud  record,  having  withal 1  the  ih  in   1861,  and 

maintained  ite  w>t-->  at  par  with  gold      It-  present   President  i-  D.  M.  Punk  .  Cashier, 
K    I:  Among  the  stockholders  of  this  hank  in  the  past  we  find  the  nam 

Punk,   David   Davis,  .1    II    Robinson,   W.  W.  Orme  and  othera  well  known  in 
Bloomington  history.     Mr.  Thorpe  haa  been  it-  Cashi  unoe  its  organisation  as 

a  national  hank      Capital  >t..rk  of  the  hank,  $150,000  .  surplus  ami  undivided  profits, 
1195,000,  making  the  entire  banking  capital  - 

National  B         Bank  was  started  in  the  summer  of  1878      Capil 
Prank   Hoblitt;   VI      President,  Jacob  Punk     I  \    I-    11   ;'litt. 

These  three  banks  are  incorporated,  while  th    Ml.        I  ak,  and  that  of 

T.  .1    Bunn  \  '  hank-  mt  partnerships.     The  entire  banking  oapit 

the  rity  i-  estimated  at  nearly  $1,000,000 

We  can  idd  to  these  the    Bloomington  S  Company,  which   w  •!  in 

the  m  il  institutions  of  tl  »iden( 

ia  Dwight   II  Superintendent,   W    P    Bi   :  r  the 

the  most  appi  ne  hundred  and  fifWn  'Ii': 

tnpany  haa  in   its  employ    from  thirty 
I '-  pari  of  the  city,  in  th 

M  kchine  Works  are  ilso  within  the  limits  of  the  town 
I 
The   B  in  ami  ( 'ok--  ( !om|  . 

and   by  tl 


92 

from  the  Illinois  Central  to  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Depot,  the  latter  then  being  near  the 
machine-shops,  north  of  the  crossing  of  Chestnut  street.  There  were  also  a  few  lamps 
around  the  public  square.  In  1867,  the  gas  works  at  the  corner  of  Market  and  Oak 
streets  were  abandoned,  and  entirely  new  ones  built  at  the  present  location.  Gen.  A. 
Gridley  had  then  become  sole  owner.  He  constructed  very  permanent  buildings, 
extended  the  gas  mains  in  every  direction,  and  used  every  honorable  means  to  induce 
the  City  Council  to  establish  lamps  on  all  well-settled  streets.  There  are  now  about 
twenty  miles  of  streets  upon  which  there  are  gas-mains,  and  the  city  possesses  about  four 
hundred  street  lamps.     Bloomington  is  a  remarkably  well  lighted  city. 

CALIFORNIA  EMIGRANTS. 

Few  of  the  rising  generation  have  any  idea  of  the  excitement  that  ran  through 
the  country  at  the  time  of  the  "gold  fever"  of  1849  and  1850.  For  a  long  series  of 
years — more  than  twelve — the  nation  had  been  passing  through  a  period  of  the  most 
terrible  financial  depression.  Money  had  become  almost  an  unknown  quantity,  and 
people  had  about  settled  into  despondency,  when  suddenly  the  wonderful  stories  of  the 
gold  discoveries  in  California  flashed  through  the  land.  As  soon  as  the  truth  was  ascer- 
tained, and  it  was  known  that  immense  quantities  of  gold  had  been  found,  and  it  was 
seen  that  a  new  empire  was  to  be  founded  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  the  rush  of  adventure- 
ous  spirits  was  sudden  and  enormous.  Bloomington — always  ready  to  make  a  move 
as  quick  as  any  other  part  of  the  world — sent  a  large  company  in  the  summer  of  1849r 
who,  with  teams  and  outfits  mostly  gathered  here,  went  the  whole  distance  overland — a 
toilsome,  tedious  journey  of  several  months  duration. 

Among  those  who  went  in  1849,  we  have  the  names  of  Col.  J.  H.  Wickizer,  Levi 
Hite,  Asa  Lillie,  Solomon  D.  Baker,  Joseph  Duncan,  Hiram  Baker,  Samuel  Ashton,  J. 
Jackson,  John  M.  Loving,  Daniel  B.  Robinson,  John  Grreenman,  S.  A.  Adams  and 
John  Walker.  Out  of  this  number  there  are  now  living  here  in  Bloomington,  Col.  J. 
H.  Wickizer,  John  M.  Loving  and  John  Walker.  S.  A.  Adams  lives  in  Missouri ;  S. 
D.  Baker  in  Virginia  City,  and  Joseph  Duncan  in  San  Francisco ;  John  Greenman, 
Capt.  D.  B.  Robinson,  Hiram  Baker  and  Levi  Hite  are  dead. 

On  the  first  of  March,  1850,  a  very  large  company  left  Bloomington  for  Califor- 
nia, made  up  in  part  from  the  adjoining  towns.  At  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  they  organized 
in  military  shape  for  protection  against  Indians  ;  there  were  about  twenty-five  wagons, 
and  nearly  one  hundred  men.  Hugh  Taylor  was  chosen  Captain.  The  company  had 
tolerably  good  luck  until  they  nearly  reached  the  gold-fields,  when  some  of  them  were 
destitute,  and  their  teams  were  badly  worn  down  ;  but  on  the  whole  it  was  a  successful 
journey. 

From  Bloomington  there  were  John  D.  Clark,  Green  B.  Larrison,  Lyman  Ferre, 
Carey  Barney,  M.  W.  Packard,  Hugh  Taylor,  William  Hodge,  J.  R.  Murphy,  E.  Parke, 
Robert  Barnett,  Robert  L.  Baker,  John  Owen,  Isaac  Strain,  Dr.  G.  Elkins,  William 
Elkins,  W.  P.  Withers,  T.  S.  Howard,  Jesse  Isgrig,  W.  Isgrig,  Elijah  Ellis,  Lee  Allin, 

F.  M.  Rockhold,  E.  Henry.     Of  these,  there  are  now  living  in  Bloomington  or  vicinity, 

G.  B.  Larrison,  Lyman  Ferre,  M.  W.  Packard,  Isaac  Strain,  J.  R.  Murphy,  Lee  Allin 
and  Robert  Barnett.  Capt.  W.  P.  Withers  lives  in  Missouri ;  T.  S.  Howard  in  Iowa, 
and  Carey  Barney  in  California.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  but  two  or  three  of  the 
whole  number  made  even  a  moderate  fortune  in  California ;  but  the  most  of  those  who* 


I  to  Bloomington  have  fa  iful      Thes  'I"-  plains  cu 

1 4-1 1  of  -Mm-  remarkable  adventun 

EM  M  LRK  LBLI     u  i.  \  i  urn. 

n  ho  Bad  enough  of  intereel   in  tl  of  thi 

themes  for  <"ii\.'  meel  casual  acqu  irill  >l"  \\<-\\  t"  read  tl 

r,  and  forever  after  refrain  from  the  common  unmeaning  n  d  drop 

in  regard  t"  th<  urkable  weather  Deep  S 

Suddi  n  I  :n"l  thi      G         H  which  tli.  ind 

in  bold  relief  ;i-  the  most  wonderful  phenomena  of  tit.-  timi 
The  great  hurricam  came  on  the  27th  day  of  Jane,  182*1 

on  the  l'-'ili  of  June.     It  -truck  <  Mil  Town  Timber  with  fearful  severity .  and 
levi  timber.     There   were   then   do  settlers   on   th<    ; 

-  or  cities  to  be  leveled,  no  ohuroh-spiree  to  be  demolished,  or  thi 
and  damage  would  !"•  larg         9  ime  injury  is  reoorded  in  Blooming  Grove,  when 
•  timber  were  leveled. 
The  mil  of  1830  or  1831    was  remarkably  mild.      Tol  . 

have  been  killed  until  December  2,  which,  if  correct,  indicates  ;i  wonderful  state  of 
affairs,  as  this  plant  is  <>ii<  of  the  moel  tender  raised  in  this  latitude 

D  ocurred  the  heaviest  rail  of  snow  ever  known  in  the  w 

The  first  snow  was  nearly  tin  leep,  and  there  were  more  than  a  dosen  storms  sub- 

sequently.     The  full  depth  appears  t"  have  been  about  forty  inches  on  ;i  level,  and  tlii-> 
when  several  Bnows  had  fallen  and  become  so  compacted  thai  in  manj  the  or 

would  bear  a  man.     The  deer  broke  through,  and   wolves  ohased  and  caught   them 
frequently,  ;i  verj  unusual  oircumsl  It  was  impossible  for  tin'  pioneers  t"  travel, 

i  families  caught  without  provisions  suffered  severely.     In  some  settlements  the  supply 
of  <-,,rn  and  li;i\  •'.  imall  tliit  cattle  Btarved,  it  being  impossible  to  d  ny 

distance.     Much  of  the  stock  was  kept  :>li\'-  by  felling  trees,  and  the  stock  subsisted  on 
the  branches      Most  families  lived  on  meal  obtained  by  pounding  corn  by  band.    Thi 
re  i  few  of  the  settlers  who  were  caught  awaj  from  home,  and  who  nearly  lost  tlnir 
-  in  the  toilsome  homeward  journeys. 
The  pioneers  in  Blooming  1 1         ■  i i <  1  not  suffer  much,  but  were  compelled  t'>  k 
in.]  -i  of  the  time.       B      m  n     Grove  was  then  old  enough  u>  furnish  plenty 

provisions  for  such  a  but  those  living  in  detached  settlements    particularly  new 

men  in  small  communities,  suffered  severely.     When  the  anon  went  off,  after  about 
ks  of  intense  oold   the  streams  were  remarkably  high,  considerably  higher,  in  all 
probability,  than  they  have  ever  been  sinoe  thai  i  rent     I  til      ibable  thai  a  similar  winter 

immense  Buffering.      Our  prairie  towns  could  not  obt 
flour  and  .  is  in  su<  h  ;i  oast  the  railroads  would  be  totally  unable  t"  k<  i  p  ■  \ 

for  bus 

\   fen   extracts  fi  no  lated   in    Prof  Dui  Old  1       -   in 

"^ I   I         I  will  illustrate  the  hardshi]  bj  the      I1  1  i 

Guthrii  ment,  page  1U2,  we  quote  the  following 

■w. 

:  I  !l 

\    in,  who  I  in  - 


94 

families  again  for  five  weeks.  They  were  obliged  to  leave  their  goods,  wagons  and  Mr.  Guthrie's" 
oxen  about  fifteen  miles  the  other  side  of  Springfield,  and  came  through  with  Mr.  Trimmer's 
horses  to  break  the  way.  During  this  time,  their  families  were  in  a  state  of  anxious  suspense, 
and  were  obliged  to  live  on  boiled  corn ;  indeed,  during  the  whole  winter,  they  had  very  little 
to  eat  except  pounded  meal.  During  that  winter,  Mr.  Guthrie  sent  his  children  to  school, 
though  they  had  to  work  their  way  for  a  mile  through  snow  that  reached  nearly  to  their  necks  ; 
but  when  it  became  packed,  they  walked  over  the  crust. 

From  the  same  work,  page  219,  we  quote  the  words  of  one  of  our  pioneers,  who 
is  now  living  in  the  city: 

Jonathan  Maxson  states  that  during  the  winter  of  the  deep  snow  (1830),  he  and  his 
brother  went  out  where  it  did  not  drift  nor  blow  away  and  took  a  careful  measurement  of  the 
depth  of  the  snow  with  a  stick  and  found  it  four  feet  deep.  During  the  early  part  of  that  terri- 
ble winter,  deer  were  very  numerous,  but  when  the  deep  snow  came  they  were  starved  and  were 
hunted  by  famished  wolves  and  by  settlers  with  snow-shoes  until  they  were  almost  exterminated. 
Shortly  after  the  snow  fell,  Mr. 'Jesse  Hiatt  killed  a  very  large  deer,  which  he  was  unable  to 
carry  home.  He  buried  it  in  the  snow  and  covered  it  with  his  coat  to  keep  the  wolves  away. 
But  the  snow  afterward  fell  so  deep  that  he  was  unable  to  visit  the  spot  for  two  weeks.  At  last, 
he  put  a  harness  on  one  of  his  horses  and  went  to  drag  it  home.  On  his  return  with  the  deer,  he- 
killed  three  others  and  attached  them  also  to  his  horse  ;  but  the  load  was  so  hard  to  drag  that  he 
did  not  return  until  late  at  night,  when  he  found  the  frightened  neighbors  collected  at  his  house, 
about  to  start  on  a  search  for  him.  They  had  collected  on  horseback  with  trumpets  and  horns 
and  various  things  with  which  to  make  unearthly  noises,  and  were,  no  doubt,  disappointed  to 
find  that  there  was  no  occasion  for  their  fearful  shrieks.  The  remainder  of  the  night  was  spent 
in  dressing  the  deer. 

Some  of  their  neighbors  caught  deer  alive  by  putting  on  snow-shoes  and  running  them 
down;  but,  toward  the  latter  part  of  the  winter,  they  were  so  poor  and  emaciated  that  they  were 
hardly  worth  catching. 

The  fall  of  meteors  November  14, 1836,  though  not  exactly  coming  under  this  head, 
will  be  mentioned  here.  It  was  a  wonderful  sight.  The  heavens  were  full  of  shooting 
stars  and  meteoric  phenomena,  which,  when  witnessed  by  people  living  in  scattered 
settlements,  may  well  have  caused  a  feeling  of  awe,  wonder  and  astonishment. 

December  14,  1836,  occurred  a  very  sudden  change  of  weather.  From  a  mild, 
thawy  condition  of  the  atmosphere,  with  the  thermometer  standing  about  forty  degrees 
above,  the  change  was  almost  instantaneous  to  twenty  degrees  below  zero.  The  wind 
came  from  the  northwest,  with  a  howl  and  a  roar,  a  perfect  moving  wall  of  cold,  with  its 
edges  apparently  square  and  perpendicular.  It  traveled  at  the  rate  of  about  thirty 
miles  per  hour.  People  were  caught  on  the  prairies  at  various  distances  from  shelter, 
and  quite  a  number  of  persons  perished,  some  of  them  but  a  short  distance  from  home. 
Cattle,  hogs,  and  even  wild  animals  were  frozen  to  death.  It  is  evident,  from  the  accounts 
we  have  of  the  effects  of  the  cold,  that  the  thermometer  fell  much  more  than  twenty 
degrees  below  zero,  but  we  have  no  records  of  the  degree  of  cold  experienced.  In  mod- 
ern times,  we  have  read  of  changes  almost  as  remarkable,  in  Iowa  and  Minnesota,  but 
none  that  will  compare  with  this  for  suddenness.  The  people  living  in  those  States  call 
these  storms  "blizzards,"  a  term  not  invented  in  1836.  Our  sudden  freeze  must  have 
thrown  a  chill  over  the  frontier  such  as  we  can  hardly  imagine. 

June  23,  1837,  a  fall  of  snow  surprised  our  pioneers.  It  was  heavy  enough  to 
make  the  green-leaved  trees  look  white,  but  no  damage  resulted. 

November  7,  1842,  there  was  another  remarkable,  sudden  freeze,  but,  while  start- 
ling in  itself,  it  was  not  to  be  compared  with  its  predecessor  in  1836. 


'I'll.-  year  184  I   i-  known  to  Western   In-' 
all  Miiiiiuiir,  Hills  in  A  md  cro|  •,  li;_«lit  indeed      Traveling 

,v  i  i  1  swimmin 

■  t'  bridges.     Tlii-  was  the  yew  irhen  the  riv.  .  high  .■.•  3l    I  ad  when 

tin- 1. 1«1  town  of  Kaskaskia  was   u<  ii  ;■  ruined  bj  the  overflow.     Th  nr  pioneers 

who  remained  at  home  'li'l  nol  suffer  particularly  from  the  ann 

ml  mini  and  moistun 

One  da  j  in  1 848,  the  thermos  ro,  and  the  da} 

.  thirty  bel 

Tlu-  rammer  "t   l-.'ii  will  long  be  rememliereij  a.-  t h«  •■  <\r\  -  almoel 

;l-   that   >'l'  l-ll    will   I-    spoken  'if  t'.ir  it-  opposite  characteristic.  ('r.-.-k  wenl 

entirety  drj  dried  uj»  all  over  the  oity  .  water  was  purchased   l>_v  many  people, 

vi  one  time  it  began  to  be  feared  that  Bloomington  would  nol   be  able  i"  obtain  u 
supply.     People  traveling  through  the  country  often  suffered  with  their  team 
thej  could  obtain  water,  and  cattle  ran  wild  with  thir-;.  rushing  t..  the  Mackinaw  add 

:n-  thai  were  nol   exhausted,  lik--  di  f  demons,     Borne  of  '>ur  citizens  eon- 

s' the  idea  ■  ■('  artesian  wells,  and  efforts  were  made  in  thai  direction,  bul  noi 
them  irag»  menl 

January    '■•.    1856,  was    remarkably   cold,  the   thermometer   being    twenty-eight 
Then  iveral  intensely  cold  days  during  the  winter,  - 

them  having   followed  soon  after  warm  weather,  and  thus  causing  the  death  of  apple 
and  peach  trees  all  through  this  region.     All  the  peach-trees  were  killed  down  to  tin  ir 
-..  and  many  whole  orchards  of  apple-trees  were  entirely,  others  partially,  ruined 

The  summer  of  1858,  was  another  wet   season — nearly  a*  bad  a<  that  of  1844 
Ml.  inty  suffered  r<  rely  during  that  summer,  as  wheal  and  corn  both  wen 

injured.  Wheal  was  killed  the  winter  previous,  and  as  at  this  time,  the  whole  oountj 
raising  winter  wheat — induced  by  the  bigh  prioes  <>t'  the  Crimea  war— it  happened  thai 
it  financial  i  by  the  unfavorable  yield  of  both  wheat  ami  corn. 

.lute    7,  18{  I  spell  formed  ioe  in    Sloomington  one-eighth  ol 

inch  thick.     The  frost  cut  all  the  oorn  i"  the  ground  and  killeil  the  young  1 
hickory  and  other  f  I         irn  crop  was  sup]  —  I  to  be  ruined,  but,  fortu- 

table  that  late-planted  emu  matured  finely.     The  lai 
and  earliest  of  tie-  crop  was  the  most  injured,  that  which  bad  just  come  oul  of  the 
ground  at  tie-  time  uf  the  frosl  nr  that  whioh  was  "iiU  two  inches  high,  came  np  from 
the  i  it  forward  at  on         9  ime  of  the  early  oorn  was  -i.\  inch*  -  high 

atel  was,  nt  course  ruined      Most  of  the  .  rn  that  was  hit  to  nature  ean 

r  than  that  which  was  replanted,  and  there  »  r  crop. 

the  'in-  in  which  there  ws  !i  in  the 

summer.     In  A  royed  much  of  the  corn,  and  in  :  her. 

her  ruined  most  of  thai  whioh  hs  I  escap<  I  in  A  I  '  ■        to  this 

the  war  demand   th  urn  ran  up       I     18  ■  bushel  in  Bloomii  th. 

i 

January  1  ble  snowatorm.      The  wind  bl<  a    i  | 

ile  -  une  time  a  h  lit  -n. iw  filled  the 

•    impossible.     Tie    thermom 
duni  •:•  rm  and  it  oontin  ittla  and  -!.• 


96 

up  to  the  fury  of  the  storm,  drifted  away  before  the  wind  and  large  numbers  of  sheep 
lost  their  lives.  The  railroads  were  blockaded,  the  Chicago  &  Alton  trains  not  being 
able  to  pass  from  Springfield  to  Bloomington  for  three  days,  nor  from  Bloomington  to 
Joliet  for  eight  or  nine  days. 

The  great  sleet  of  January  13,  1871,  was  an  event  that  should  be  noted.  The 
forest  trees  around  Bloomington  and  the  shrubbery  in  private  yards  were  irreparably 
injured.  The  sleet  was  equivalent  to  more  than  an  inch  of  rain.  Telegraph  poles 
were  broken,  and  in  many  cases  all  the  large  limbs  broke  from  trees.  Nearly  one-third 
of  the  foliage-bearing  branches  were  thus  crushed ;  whole  trees  fell  down  and  the  dam- 
age to  our  fruit  and  shade  trees  is  still  plainly  visible. 

In  the  winter  of  1873,  during  an  intensely  cold  spell,  when  the  thermometer  had 
fallen  about  twenty  degrees  below  zero,  the  wind  changed  in  the  night  to  the  south,  and, 
for  a  few  hours,  there  was  most  a  remarkably  low  temperature,  with  a  high  south 
wind.  At  one  time,  the  thermometer  was  from  twenty-six  to  thirty-two  degrees  below 
zero,  according  to  the  instrument  and  its  exposure. 

The  winter  of  1877  and  1878,  will  long  be  remembered  on  account  of  its  extreme 
mildness.  At  no  time  was  the  ice  in  the  vicinity  of  Bloomington  over  three  inches  in 
thickness.  The  entire  winter  was  about  as  mild  as  average  April  weather.  Rains 
were  frequent,  often  very  heavy,  and,  before  the  1st  of  January,  the  roads  were  impassa- 
ble, and  remained  so  from  about  January  1  to  the  middle  of  March.  Business  of  all 
kinds  was  nearly  suspended,  and  a  general  gloom  pervaded  the  community. 

The  following  winter  was  just  the  reverse.  Snow  fell  early  in  December,  followed 
by  fifteen  inches  of  level  snow  on  the  13th  of  December,  which  remained  for  nearly 
six  weeks.  The  sleighing  was  the  best  ever  known,  and  was  enjoyed  to  the  fullest 
extent.  Washington  street  was,  by  general  consent,  given  up  to  the  fast-stepping 
horses  for  which  Bloomington  is  so  famous,  and  was  crowded  with  gay  and  happy 
parties  every  afternoon — often  as  many  as  fifty-five  teams  being  visible  at  one  time. 
Near  the  close  of  the  sleighing  season,  on  the  11th  of  January,  1879,  there  was  a  grand 
sleighing  carnival,  or  free  ride,  for  all  the  children  of  the  city,  participated  in  by  nearly 
three  thousand.  It  was  a  sight  long  to  be  remembered.  There  were  over  two  hundred 
sleighs,  of  all  sorts  and  sizes,  many  of  them  gayly  decorated  with  flags  and  streamers. 
Thousands  of  spectators  lined  the  streets,  and  the  excitement  and  enthusiasm  were  both 
novel  and  pleasant. 

Our  list  will  close  with  the  mention  of  the  five  cold  mornings  in  January,  1879. 
January  2,  the  thermometer  was  twenty  degrees  below  zero;  on  the  3d,  twenty-eight; 
on  the  4th,  seventeen ;  on  the  5th,  twenty ;  and  on  the  6th,  ten  degrees  below — mak- 
ing, probably,  five  of  the  coldest  days  ever  known  in  such  close  connection. 

EVENTS    DURING   THE    WAR. 

Bloomington  is  entitled  to  rank  with  the  most  patriotic  cities  in  the  land.  It  can 
show  a  proud  record  from  the  time  when  its  citizens  volunteered  to  aid  the  settlers  of 
the  exposed  northern  frontiers  of  Illinois  to  the  last  day  of  the  civil  war.  Its  list  of 
heroes  must  be  included  in  the  county's  record,  as  there  is  no  way  of  fairly  separating 
the  city  from  the  county ;  but  it  is  proper  that  we  mention  some  of  the  stirring  events 
that  took  place  in  the  city  itself. 

When  Fort  Sumter  was  fired  on,  and  the  President's  call  for  volunteers  appeared, 
in  April,  1861,  our  city  was  not  behind  the  rest  of  the  land  in  its  readiness  to  respond, 


iblicm  eting  was  hold  i  irheng| iheswer   raadetl  Len       fthe 

patriotic  feeling*  of  the  people      The  entl  for  the  old  tl  i  p  ind 

Cheers,   -^h' «ut -,  and  \  oall<  I   for    and   in   an 

incredibly  short   tin  impanj  was  raised  for  ill     thre<  month*  died  i'.»r, 

v  111  ide  up  .>('  young  men  rrom  this  citj       In  three  >.r  four 

;  Springfield,  u  pi    II  irvej .  and  il  I 

\         n  as  tin-  ...in]. anv  was  full  I  other  companies  n 

Por  .1  f-  lied   m  in  would  volunt  i 

oompan  drilling  daily,  made  up  from  ill  as       II  id   tl 

Jce  all  the  I  Sered,  then  is  no  d  »ubl  tfa  it  a)  It 

in  n  would  have  enlisted  al  once,  in  the  month  of  M  ty,  from  Bloomington  alone.     The 
that  the  firs)   company,  under  Capt.  Harvej    lefl    town,  and  also  the  day  of  their 
return  from  I  ire  memorable  evenl        On  both  occasions,  tb  literally 

crowded  with  s|  The  firel  was  a  time  of  the  deepesi  and  mosl  poignant  afflic- 

tion; the  lasl  m  of  joy  :i"'  gratitude      These  two 

and  mi  during  the  nezl  few  bul  never  were  equaled  in  intensity  of  feel 

ing  exoepl  on  the  days  of  the  leaving  and  returning   of  the  entire    M<  I.        I    itinty 
regiment— the   Ninety-fourth    Illinois  Volunteers — which    lefl    An.  and 

returned  A 

\  tg  lsI  26,  1861,  about   three  hundred  of  the  men  of  the  Thirty-third    Qlinois 
tnent  lefi  ilii-  city  and  county  t< >r  Springfield,  and  again  was  ill  taking  and 

patri  in  our  streets.    This  regiment  included  one  company    A    of  students 

rrom  Normal,  and  one  company  made  up  largely  from   Bloomington.      The  latter 
Company  C,  of  which  E    B    B  ■   was  Captain.     Roe  edited  the  Democrats   S 
at  the  time.     He  was  soon  promoted;  and  his  place  was  filled  by  Capt.  V.   .1    Lewis,  who 
enlisted  in  the  company  as  a  private  soldier.     Lewis  edited  the  Pantograph  al  the  time 
the  war  broke  out,  served  with  great  credit  until  the  olose  of  the  war,  and   again  edited 
the  same  pap<  r  for  five  or  biz  years  after  his  return. 

the  war  became  an  old  story,  that    the  departure  of  trc* 
.nd  more  an  individual  matter,  left  by  the  public  mainly  to  those  inter 
— the  departing  soldier  and  his  intimate  friends  and  relatives;    but  at  the  dot 
ichmenl  that  returned  was  welcomed  most  enthusiastically. 
The  excitement  caused  bj  thi  iction,  in    August,  1862,  ol  thi    Bloomii 

Timet,  a  -li.it  with  Southern  sympathies  too  strong  for  this  latitude,  was  mosl  inu 
The  soldiers  of  the  Nin  iment  performed  this  job,  aid.  d  by  uncontrol 

spirits  who  were  willing  to  assist  when  sure  that  the  blame  or  \  i  tuld  be 

the  departing  volui 
On  the  2d  "I  September,  1862,  ■  dispatch  was  i  i  from  Springfield  at  about 

midnight,  calling  for  200  men,  instantly,  to  guard  a  large  detachment  ol 

1   imp    Butler     The  fire-bells  were  rung;  the  public  responded;  the  f  the 

the  l    [U»red  numl  I  in  a  few  hours,  and  ■  littl.-  after 

li,;lit   mad.-  their    ii  iting   th  aishmuul   at   the 

j.atr  le  with  which  our  volunteered      old  men   boys  and  cripple* 

<.ii  tlii  in  d      I'   ippeai 

hi   maki  tempi  t 

if  prompt  and  iction,  t.>  cull  together, 


98 

suddenly,  a  force  that   should  overawe  the  prisoners  who  had  been  carelessly  left  with 
too  small  a  guard. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  year  1862,  several  soldiers'  funerals  took  place  at 
Bloomington,  stirring  the  city  to  its  very  heart.  Among  the  most  noted,  we  may  men- 
tion that  of  Lieut.  Joseph  Gr.  Howell,  who  had  enlisted  at  the  first  call  in  1861,  resign- 
ing his  place  as  Principal  of  the  Model  School  at  Normal.  He  was  a  noble  young  man, 
with  troops  of  warm  friends.  He  was  killed  at  Fort  Donelson.  Capt.  Harvey,  killed 
a  little  later,  at  Pittsburg  LandiDg,  was  honored  with  a  public  funeral,  and  the  city  was 
plunged  in  grief  once  more.  We  should  also  mention  Col.  Hogg's  and  Col.  William) 
McCullough's  funerals,  and  others. 

Immense  sums  were  given  in  aid  of  the  families  of  soldiers  in  the  early  part  of 
the  war ;  but  later,  the  public  sympathy  was  mainly  directed  through  the  Sanitary  Com- 
mission, to  the  assistance  of  those  in  the  field.  In  1864,  as  much  as  $10,000  was  sent 
in  money  in  one  donation,  of  which  Isaac  Funk  gave  $5,000.  There  was  a  constant 
stream  of  charity  pouring  in  this  direction,  whose  dimensions  in  the  aggregate  must 
have  been  magnificent. 

At  the  Presidential  election,  in  1864,  there  was  tremendous  excitement.  Many  of 
the  soldiers  were  at  home ;  some  discharged  for  disability,  others  by  expiration  of  three 
years'  enlistment,  and  many  were  at  home  on  furlough.  These  were  well  aware  that 
during  the  whole  time  of  their  absence  there  had  been  a  "fire  in  the  rear;  "  and  from 
a  variety  of  causes,  great  feeling  was  manifested.  At  that  time,  the  whole  township  of 
Bloomington,  polling  1,774  votes,  had  one  voting  place — the  old  jail-building,  on 
the  northwest  corner  of  the  Court  House  square.  The  election,  after  all,  was  one  of 
the  quietest  on  record,  though  probably  one-third  of  the  voters  carried  pistols,  ready  for 
any  outbreak  that  might  occur.  The  Judges  of  the  election  were  A.  B.  Ives,  John 
Dawson  and  J.  H.  Burnham.  In  spite  of  the  rapidity  with  which  they  were  obliged 
to  decide  all  cases  of  challenged  votes,  their  decisions  were  acquiesced  in  by  the  leading 
men  of  both  parties  most  cheerfully,  and  their  feat  of  taking  votes  at  the  rate  of  three 
per  minute,  at  a  time  of  such  a  hot  contest,  can  scarcely  be  paralleled.  Mr.  Lincoln 
had  a  majority  of  about  six  hundred  in  the  township  of  Bloomington. 

During  the  winter  of  1864,  Company  K  of  the  Twenty-sixth  Illinois  Regiment 
of  which  Gen.  I.  J.  Bloomfield  was  the  Captain,  returned  to  this  county  on  "  veteran 
furlough,"  and  were  kindly  welcomed  by  the  citizens  of  Bloomington. 

On  the  14th  of  March,  1864,  the  entire  Thirty-third  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers 
arrived  at  Bloomington  on  their  "veteran  furlough,"  on  their  way  from  Texas  to  their 
different  homes  in  Illinois. 

There  were  over  four  hundred  of  these  heroes,  of  whom  quite  a  number  were  from 
Bloomington.  The  citizens  gave  them  a  warm-hearted  reception  at  Royce  Hall,  which 
was  unlooked  for  by  the  veterans,  and  was  a  fitting  tribute  to  the  brave  men  who  so 
nobly  continued  in  the  service  of  the  country.  This  class  of  soldiers,  entitled  to  more 
praise  than  any  other,  have  generally  been  treated  like  ordinary  volunteers.  Now  the 
fact  is,  they  really  stand  the  highest  in  the  list  of  the  nation's  defenders.  Their  vol- 
unteering in  the  face  of  danger,  after  three  years'  service,  was  convincing  proof  to  the 
rebels  that  they  never  could  succeed  in  their  undertaking. 

The  day  before  the  Presidential  election,  in  1864,  large  bodies  of  suspicious  look- 
ing men  came  from  Southern  Illinois  to  this  city,  and  changed  cars  for  Chicago.    James 


Allin,  Jr.,  then    Postmaster,  telegraphed   the  circumntai  John   Wcntwortl 

.■ilitT-.  and  the  result  a  the  m<  d  wi  the)  reached  the  oit)       It 

I  transpin  1   th  il   the)  I  in  'I.  is  plot 

prisoner!       Camp  1)  I  the  dispatch  from  III ington  was  on<  of  the  indica- 

-  thai  ]  -  -in.  tliiiiL'  anuaual  was.  being  attempted. 

In  the  earl)  part  of  the  war,  il  seemed  thai  the  volunteers  paid   little  attention  t<> 
tilliiiL'  the  muster  r- *1 1  -  ind  it  often  happened  thai    oearlj  :i  whole  company 

i  be  credited  t"   Bloomington,  when,  in  fact,  it  led  in  the  count)  ;it  I 

•lii-.  all  who  lived  in  tlm-.'  <>r  four  of  the    idjacenl   townships  who-.'  poel   •ili<-.- 
.iiMi  it  liliHuniti^ton,  were  generall)  credit)  lidents,  and  the  resull 

thai  the  more  than  filled      When  the  first  'lr.it'  was  threatened  in 

M   I         I     inty,  in  1864,  it  was  discovered  thai  Bl tin  i  read)  made 

deal  «'t"  bad  feeling  resulted.     By  i  liberal  county  bounty,  and  the 
eral  co-operation  of  the  oitiiens  of  both  city  and  county,  the  firal   draft  a  ided. 

February  or  March,   1865,  the  lasl   'Inil't   barely  touched  a  few  districts  in   M   I.    n 
Most  of   the  towns,  :i-   well  as  the   wards  in    Bloomington   raised   lib 
riptions,  which,  in  addition  to  the  count)  bounty,  proved  effectual.     In  Blooming 
ton,  out  ■'!   many  thousand  dollars  raised,  quite  a  large  proportion,  in  Bono 

the  wards,  was  returned  to  the  Bubscritx  rs. 

The  oews  of  peace,  or  rather  the  surrender  of  Gren.  Lee,  the  capture  of  Jeff  Davis 
and  tin-  surrender  of  Gen  .!"•  Johnston — the  whole  equivalent  t . .  a  declaration  of 
caused  intense  satisfaction  and  extravagant  rejoicing  in  the  same  manner  as 
Union  victories  bad  done  previously.  The  usual  way  was  for  a  few  men  t"  run  around 
the  public  square,  call  for  ;i  collection,  buy  some  powder,  which  lv  -  Butl<  r  would  burn 
in  his  cannon,  while  the  boys  would  join  in  a  9  imetimes  we  fii 

lit 1 1.  ii.  or  the  news  would  turn  out  to  I"-  unimportant,  but  we  kept  up  the  | 

lice  till  tin-  news  of  1 1 1 « -  last  surrender 

In  tin.-  \  jociated  Press  dispatches  usuall)  arrived  at   the   Pantograph 

office  a  little  before  ooon,  and  any  *er)  special  oews  was  printed   speedil)  on  -1  ij--  •  -f 
and  sold  by  b  <  *n  the  morning  after  the  assassination  of  P 

dent    Lincoln,  -I     II     Buroham,   editor   of    the    l'»l oington    Pantograph)    wai 

Chicago.     II'    saw  the  news  in  the  morning  paper  there,  and  knew  ;it  once  that  the 
/'  uph  could  doI   possibly  have  the  dispatch.      He   went   t"   the   telegraph  office 

aed,  and  sent  the  first  «i  i—i  *-*<  *-li  of  1 1  ■  -  -  morning,  telling   bis  pa]  r  lii- 

"Wn  signature,  in  al  '\  words,  the  t.  nil •!.   n.  w~.     This  was  known  on  thi 

■    B     mington  :it  about  '.'  ■  > \1< ><k .  and  it  caused  intense  grief  and  astonishment.     M 
Lincoln  was  known  and  l"\''l  in  Bloomington  as  well  as  any  whet  q  the  world,  and 

lycd  the  publii 
tli.  the  sad  event       \  man  of  the  oame  of  John    rlinsey,  I 

at  il  *  r  Mi     Lincoln's  death,   and    thouj 

applaud<  '  applaud  the  assassin       When  tin-  n  .   the 

•  he  w  In  b)  frei  I   the 

i  ut  the  offender  t"  bo  li  H  in  -ml 

■ 
n  Inch  th  and  w  hil<    thu 

Mr     il  hotel, 


100 

been  passed  out  in  disguise  at  the  rear,  and  he  was  driven  rapidly  toward  Peoria.     In  a 
few  hours  after  his  escape,  the  crowd  became  glad  it  had  not  taken  human  life. 

FREEMASONS. 

As  it  takes  many  people  to  make  a  world,  so  various  methods  for  doing  good  have 
been  organized,  and  will  be  carried  on  till  the  end  of  time.  One  of  the  oldest,  and, 
perhaps,  one  of  the  most  permanent,  of  the  different  orders  or  societies  that  we  can  men- 
tion, is  that  of  Freemasonry.  This  Order  was  established  in  Bloomington  at  an  early 
day.  In  1847,  Peoria  Lodge  recommended  the  application  for  a  new  lodge  in  Bloom- 
ington. The  first  meeting  of  Bloomington  Lodge,  No.  43,  was  March  1,  1847.  Its 
first  Master  was  John  Foster.  The  first  member  admitted  was  W.  C.  Hobbs,  who 
became  the  second  Master,  and,  afterward,  was  Master  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  being  the 
only  member  from  Bloomington  who  has  ever  attained  this  distinction.  Dr.  Hobbs  was 
one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Bloomington  from  this  time  down  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  February  10,  1861.  He  was,  perhaps,  the  most  genial,  the  kindest-hearted, 
most  generally  useful  man  who  has  ever  lived  in  Bloomington.  The  Masters  of  this 
Lodge  who  followed  Dr.  Hobbs  were  E.  Thomas,  M.  C.  Baker,  John  M.  Scott,  Good- 
man Ferre  and  others.  The  Masonic  Order  has  always  included  a  large  proportion  of 
leading  citizens,  making  it  one  of  our  "  institutions  "  of  merit,  and  it  has  accomplished 
a  vast  amount  of  good.  There  are  three  lodges,  all  meeting  on  different  nights  in  one 
hall,  which,  since  1877,  has  been  in  the  upper  part  of  the  fine  building  at  the  corner  of 
Center  and  Front  streets,  where  may  be  found  one  of  the  most  completely  fitted  lodge- 
rooms  in  the  State.  Besides  the  three  lodges  of  inferior  degrees,  there  are  two  or 
more  of  the  higher,  made  up  mostly  of  those  who  belong  to  the  lower  lodges,  of  which 
we  will  mention  the  Chapter  of  Rojal  Arch  Masons  and  the  Commandery  of  Knights 
Templar.  Bloomington  Chapter,  No.  26,  Royal  Arch  March  Masons,  was  organized 
March  19,  1855.  Its  leading  oflicers  are  :  High  Priest,  J.  Brewster;  Treasurer,  Good- 
man Ferre,  and  its  Secretary  is  John  D.  Fowle. 

De  Molay  Commandery,  No.  24,  was  constituted  October  22,  1867.  Its  officers  are 
Charles  F.Webb,  Eminent  Commander;  James  Clark,  Generalissimo;  William  M. 
Stevenson,  Captain  General;  Jabez  Brewster,  Treasurer,  and  J.  D.  Fowle,  Recorder. 
These  Knights  are  well  drilled,  and  make  a  fine  appearance  when  seen  in  public. 

Bloomington  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  held  its  first  meeting,  as  we  have 
stated  above,  March  1,  1847.  Its  present  officers  are  W.  R.  Bascom,  Master;  Thomas 
W.  Stevenson,  Senior  Warden;  Michael  Gee,  Junior  Warden;  N.  N.  Winslow,  Treas- 
urer ;  Charles  Strehorn,  Secretary.     The  Lodge  has  about  two  hundred  members. 

Wade  Barney  Lodge  was  organized  August  8,  1866.  and  now  contains  123  mem- 
bers. Its  Master  is  L.  L.  Burr ;  Senior  Warden,  C.  W.  Kirk ;  Junior  Warden,  A.  M. 
Goodfellow;  Treasurer,  J.  E.  Eastman;  Secretary,  C.  J.  Northrop. 

Mozart  Lodge,  No.  656,  is  composed  of  Germans,  and  contains  about  forty  mem- 
bers. It  was  organized  in  October,  1870.  This  Lodge  transacts  all  business  in  the 
German  language. 

Closely  allied  with  Masonry  is  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star,  composed  of  Free- 
masons, their  wives  and  daughters.  Bloomington  Chapter,  No.  4,  was  organized  Janu- 
ary 1,  1870.  Worthy  Patron,  W.  C.  Stevenson  ;  Worthy  Matron,  Mrs.  A.  Kettle  ; 
Treasurer,  Mrs.  W.  Stevenson;  Secretary,  Mrs.  E.  C.  Roberts.     There  are  110  members. 


[01 


IN  l>V  If  M'l  \  1     oltl'l  It     "I      «»!■!■     I   M  I  <»U  - 


There  is  pi  rhapc  do  m        -     I  matio  charity  than  is  dispensed  through  the   fade 
i  •  adenl  <  hxler  of <  kid  Fellows    This  societj  i-  peculiarly  fortunate  in  Bloom ington,  baling 
been  established  at  an  earlj  day,  and  it-  first   memben  being  men  of  high  moral  aims 
tlnii  have  followed  in  the  waj  tir-t   marked  oul   bj  the  original  memben 

n     i  kept  the  ancient  landmarks  well  insight,  and  haveattaini  I  proficiencj 

in  all  the  proper  work  of  the  Order. 

Reraembrai       I.    I       No.  77,  ganiied  October  20, 1851       Amongitach 

tiiiil  the  names  of  II    8    Herr  and   William  Nightwine       John  M    ~- 
was  initiated  the  same  night  the   Lodge  was  instituted,  and  hai  irith  the  above-named 
continued  :t  member  until  the  present  time. 

3    eral  <>f  thoe    most  prominent  in  the  Grand  Lodge  of  this  jurisdiction  have  been 
members  of  Remembrance  Lodge,  among  whom  we  will  mention  U.S.  Herr  and  Th 
I     Mitchell,  both  of  whoni  have  been  Grand  Officers      Mr   Mitchell  has  been  deb 
to  the  National  <  rrand  I.  rhere  he  was  one  of  the  most  active  and  efficient  re] 

The  present  Noble  Grand  of  Remembrance  Lodge  is  C.  8.  8  Vint  Grand, 

C    M    R    -     Recording  Secretary,  A.moe  Kemp;   Permanent  Secretary,  L    B  Ell< 

it  Thompson,  i-  Tn    rarer    i  position  he  has  filled  for  twenty  years.     Evergreen 
Oitj  I.    i_      \     265,  was  instituted  September  30.  1858.     It-  present  number  of  mem- 
is  100.     It-  Noble  Grand  is  G  T.  Heritagi      Vice  Grand,  E.  Huhn;  Record- 

•  ir\    I     !'•    Augustus;   Permanent  Secretary,  II   J.  Hi  Treasure]    I 

kwell. 

(Jhland  Lodge,  No.  305,  was  organised  July  1.   L863,     It-  charter  is  in  the  I 
inin  lang  ind  it-  meetings  are  all  conducted  in  German,  and  its  membership  made 

op  of  that  nationality       \.  Schlegel  is  Noble  Grand;  Fred.  Kersten,  Vice  Grand;   II 
M   ■        I!    ording  Seoretarj  .   rV    D.  Penner,  Financial  Secretary  and  William  A 
l  easurer;   Representative  to  Grand  Lodge,  Charles  Lamp. 

Ml.  .n   Encampment,  No    29  organized   April   11.   1-."..".      It tains  at 

nt  about  seventy  ti\.  members.     This  Lodge  is  made  up  from  members  of  the  other 
g  a  higher  degree  of  the  same  Order.     William   McComb  is  C    P 
T    II:,     .11    P.;  Charles  Lamp, 8    W     a    C   Atkins,  Scribe    B   Thompson    I' 
urer.     Remembrance  Lodge  owns  ■  bmdness  house,  next  to  the  northeast  corni  r  of  Main 

and  Washington  streets      It  was  purchased  in  1878,  at  a  cost  of  nearlj  $10,( This 

purol  -  made  from  the  permanent  funds  of  the  Lodge  and  shows  a  financial  stand- 

amended      The  amount  of  funds  on  hand  in  the  different  ' 
r  amou  I  000.     This  monej  \i  one  to  !"•  u-<-<1  in  <-:i.-«-  the 

annual  dues  .^liall  not  be  equal  to  id.    demands  of  it-  members  wl lay  happen  to  be 

tick  or  disabled,  and  in  I  i  nattering  degrei    of  prospt  i  I 

M  nyoftht  of  Odd  Fellows,  with  their  husbands,  are  members  of  th<  Order 

of  tli    I1  !;  Bethlehem  Li       No.  32,  was  incorporated  November  11. 

h  a  lodg  a  existence    previously.     It-  Noble  Grand  is  Oliver  B< 

Grand,  Mi     N<      i   Tayl  r;   Mr-    K    B    Sallett  is   Recording  Secretary      Mi    W. 

I»    llall'tt   i-  the    Permanent    Secretary;  tli>    Treaaurer  ii    Mrs     William   .1     Sarrill. 

five  memben 


102 

Abraham  Lincoln  Lodge,  No.  85,  of  the  Degree  of  Rebecca,  meets  at  the  hall  in 
Liberty  Block.  These  Rebecca  Lodges  are  mainly  for  social  purposes,  though  there  are 
some  obligations  and  duties  imposed  upon  the  members. 

VARIOUS    SECRET    SOCIETIES. 

One  of  the  most  important  of  our  secret  organizations  is  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
which  meets  at  112  and  114  South  Main  street,  in  Liberty  Block.  It  contains  109 
members.  Richard  Osborne,  P.  C. ;  M.  B.  Jeter,  C.  C ;  J.  E.  Espey,  V.  C. ;  CD. 
Myers,  Prelate  ;  William  Van  Schoich,  M.  of  E.,  and  Frank  Johnson,  Jr.,  M.  of  F. 
Its  Trustees  are  J.  W.  Fifer,  J.  W.  Trotter  and  Dr.  C.  R.  Karr.  Whenever  this 
society  appears  in  public  in  uniform,  it  invariably  attracts  great  attention,  the  appear- 
ance of  its  members  being  highly  indicative  of  discipline  and  good  fellowship. 

The  "Universal  Brotherhood"  organized  Lodge  No.  4  in  Bloomington,  February 
3,  1878,  about  which  time  representatives  from  all  over  the  United  States  met  here  to 
perfect  their  organization.  This  institution  is  of  a  fraternal  nature,  and  its  main  feat- 
ure is  insurance,  its  policies  being  at  the  members'  option,  in  sums  varying  from  $500 
to  $5,000.  The  Order  in  this  State  has  been  incorporated  as  the  "Grand  Command- 
ery  of  the  Universal  Brotherhood  of  the  World."  The  officers  of  No.  4,  are  R.  F. 
McCabe,  Illustrious  Commander ;  W.  G.  Nichols,  Captain  General ;  A.  O.  Grigsby, 
Chief  of  Records;  W.  H.  Phillips,  Registration  Chief;  H.  N.  Cutshaw,  Chief  of 
Exchequer ;  J.  A.  Beason,  Master  of  Ceremonies. 

The  Knights  of  Honor  organized  in  July,  1878,  with  fourteen  charter  members. 
It  is  mainly  for  mutual  life  insurance,  though  it  has  social  features.  The  Grand  Lodge 
of  the  State  controls  110  subordinate  lodges.  Assessments  are  made  so  that  upon  the 
death  of  a  brother,  his  heirs  obtain  $2,000.  The  Grand  Lodge  of  Illinois,  of  which 
J.  C.  S.  Miller,  a  Bloomingtonian,  is  Grand  Dictator,  meets  here  in  June,  1879.  The 
Bloomington  organization  is  known  as  Independent  Lodge  K.  of  H.,  No.  706.  Its 
officers  are:  Past  Dictators,  Frank  White,  I.  N.  Littel,  E.  D.  Miller;  Dictator,  C.  A. 
Brooks ;  Vice  Dictator,  B.  G.  Cash ;  Asst.  Dictator,  S.  B.  Cooper ;  Treasurer,  E.  D. 
Miller ;  Reporter,  C.  E.  Baker ;  Financial  Reporter,  C.  L.  Camp  ;  Medical  Examiner, 
Dr.  IN.  B.  Cole;  Chaplain,  W.  R.  Bascom ;  Guide,  M.  Plumley ;  Guardian,  George 
Harman  ;  Sentinel,  Adam  Hess. 

The  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  is  a  secret  benevolent  society  with  an 
insurance  feature  that  highly  commends  itself.  Upon  the  death  of  any  member  any- 
where in  the  State,  the  assessments  realize  enough  to  pay  $2,000  to  the  family  of  the 
deceased.  The  Bloomington  Lodge  was  organized  April  17,  1877.  Its  number  is  63. 
Its  officers  for  the  past  six  months  were  J.  D.  Dodge,  Past  Master  ;  F.  M.  Fowler, 
Master  Workman  ;  T.  W.  Pelton,  General  Foreman  ;  Julius  Johnson,  Overseer ;  J.  L. 
Beath,  Receiver ;  James  Lonney,  Financier;  F.  W.  Coe,  Recorder;  D.  Hemmele, 
Guide ;  G.  B.  Bossie,  Inside  Watchman ;  J.  S.  Izaat,  Outside  Watchman.  There  are 
about  ninety  members  and  the  Order  is  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

The  Independent  Order' B'nai  B'rith  has  one  Lodge,  Abraham  Lincoln,  No.  190. 
E.  Ganz,  is  President;  M.  Lange,  Vice  President;  W.  Greisheim,  Secretary;  M.  Heil- 
brun,  Financial  Secretary.  This  Order  equals  the  Masons  or  Odd  Fellows  in  the 
thoroughness  and  completeness  of  its  organized  charity.  The  Bloomington  lodge  was 
started  October  27,  1872,  with   twenty-two  members  and  now  contains  thrity-three. 


The     \  Accepted    York    M 

I.    |   ■      \        i  -        tuber    !  -     I  -'■  l       -I      \     1 1 1       M  /.    T. 

ioi    Warden  .1    Ward    Junioi    Warden      R   II'  R     Allin 

> 

Bloouiincton   i  iharital  tions   than   aim 

oth  e  in  this  S  whi  h   li  i\ 

Dumber  thai  work  publicly,  thougb  in  an  form      I  I  I  menti 

the  German    Benevolent     \        iation,  which    was  formed   May  1.  1857     I 
membership  of  ur,  and  hat  become  one  of  1 1 1* -  old  its  kind  in  th<  9 

Her  i~   Pr«  C.  Haker,  A  nt,  and  William  l»    P 

tO  Hibernians  of  Bloomington  was  chartered    April  20,  1-7  1 

:  contains  al  this  time  aboul  Bixty  members      Michael    Martin  is   President:  Jan 
1  \         President;   William  Nihi  I  Dai        II  .   _     ■.    -  ry. 

The   Hibernian    Benevolent    Societj    was   incorporated    March,  1869      I-  nty 

members,     G  Burns    •    Pi  John  Sullivan,  8r.,  Treasurer,    ind    Dennis 

Mai    ■        -  r\      These  beneficial  organizations  have  been  Bupplem  by  the 

th  i  Mathev*   T  tal    Abstinence  and    !;  -  rid  the  Si    Patri  It  T  tal 

\   itineno  and  Bern  Solent  Soci<  i 

It   i>  qoite  difficult,    in  a  city    like   Bloomington,  t..   learn  <>t'  all  the  different 
aizationa,     '  hir  modern  lit'.  -■■  ms  tn  be  adapted  t"  all  these  trari 
lily  formed,  and  often  ni"r.-  easily   dissolved.     We  know  <>t"   the 
Brotherhood,  and  of  the  (firemen's  ai 
II  as  of  several  trades-unions  and  otl  ieties,  but  <  >u r  II  not 

l'ul>li>h  all  the  particulars  which  we  might  easily  obtain.     There  are  otl 
for  instance,  the  German  Free-School  Society,  with  aehoolhouae  and 

lot  at  the  oorner  of  West  and  Front  -   well  worthy  of  more  particular  mention  . 

I>ut  we  lia,  i  thi    space  allotted  t«'  these  matters,  and  I 

-  it  i-.  descended  to  m  »re  particulars  than  "ur  readers  will  care  to  examine 

[MPOR1  \M     '.i  km  an    OROANIZ  \  I  [ONfl 

The  tit  mans  in    Bloomington  in  anj  rable  numl 

l-."ii  t     1858,  and  we  find  that  during  then  some  of  "ur  beet  German 

sations  :  r  origin.     Among  thi  trill  mention  the  Turners,  who  com 

ii.    toad    \  1858      Thej  have  1-  me  of  the  most  ties  in 

ft  They  now  npj    the  building  whioh  was,  previous  t"    IS5G,  tin    Ba 

ti-t  Church  .  Km  tlii-  i-  too  small  and  inoonvenient  for  1 1 » « -  Turners,  wh  ncj 

their  plans  for  the  erection  building   thai  wQl  I"-  ■  credit  t" 

tli  i  an  ornament  t..  the  city.     Their  abilitj  to  •  it  the  project  has  I- 

l.ti  lightly  impaired  l»v  the  hard  times  through  which  we  ing,  and  wl 

the  ?  nothing  The  present  offi<  •  r- 

•       I;  Turnv<  follows       President,   William  Gerkeu  ;    \ 

Pi  Brohm     B     irdit      -        larj     P.  Horei  maon     '  onding   - 

1     TrimpU 


104 

October  12,  1874,  saw  the  first  organization  of  the  Bloomington  Maennerchorr 
which  now  contains  a  membership  of  120.  This  number  includes  several  hon- 
orary members,  the  active,  or  singing  members,  being  about  one-half  of  the  whole 
society.  The  success  of  the  organization  has  been  quite  remarkable.  It  now  contains 
some  of  the  best  voices  in  the  West,  well  trained,  and  ready  to  take  a  high  position  in 
the  musical  world.  This  society  contains  a  large  proportion  of  the  best  educated  of 
the  Germans  in  Bloomington,  and  it  represents  the  wealth,  culture  and  refinement  of 
the  German  nation  as  well  as  any  single  organization  in  Central  Illinois.  Its  officers 
are:  Peter  Gratz,  President ;  Carl  Wehrstedt,  Vice  President;  Henry  Behr,  Secre- 
tary; George  H.  Mueller,  Financial  Secretary,  and  Jacob  Jacoby,  Treasurer ;  H.  P. 
Seibel  is  Musical  Director,  and  Arnold  Rigger  is  Librarian.  Prof.  H.  Von  Eisner,  who 
died  in  July,  1878,  was,  for  some  time,  musical  director,  and  is  spoken  of  by  the  mem- 
bers as  having  been  a  fine  musician,  to  whom  the  society  is  under  obligations  for  quite  a 
large  portion  of  its  present  efficiency. 

OUR    HIGHEST    OFFICIALS. 

Bloomington  was  not  very  ambitious  for  high  political  honors  in  its  younger  days.  It 
never  aspired  to  fill  high  offices  in  the  State  or  nation ;  was  content  to  be  well  governed 
at  home,  and  to  take  care  of  as  many  of  the  county  and  legislative  offices  as  possible? 
ever  ready  to  help  elect  good  men  from  other  portions  of  the  State  to  its  highest  offices. 
Even  when  John  Moore,  of  Randolph's  Grove,  was  made  Lieutenant  Governor  in  1840, 
it  did  not  seem  to  rouse  our  other  politicians  to  any  degree  of  individual  ambition. 
There  was  a  spasm  at  the  time  Owen  Lovejoy  was  nominated  for  Congress  in  1856, 
McLean  being  then  in  the  same  district  with  Bureau  County,  but  nothing  came  of  it, 
and  our  voters  swallowed  their  pride,  and  assisted  Mr.  Lovejoy  to  the  position  he 
desired.     Up  to  1870,  no  citizen  of  McLean  County  had  ever  been  elected  to  Congress. 

In  1856,  James  Miller,  of  Bloomington,  was  chosen  State  Treasurer,  being  the  first 
Bloomingtonian  to  fill  a  high  State  office.  Mr.  Miller  was  one  of  our  most  respected 
citizens,  and  has  left  his  mark  upon  our  city,  very  particularly  in  the  Methodist  Church, 
of  which  he  was  a  consistent,  liberal  and  enthusiastic  member.  In  1874,  Samuel  M. 
Elter,  who  had  for  some  time  been  City  School  Superintendent  here,  was  elected  State 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 

In  1872,  Gen.  John  McNulta,  whose  brilliant  record  as  Colonel  of  the  Ninety- 
fourth  Illinois  Regiment  is  set  forth  in  its  proper  place,  was  elected  to  Congress  from  the 
district  composed  of  the  counties  of  McLean,  DeWitt,  Logan,  Tazewell  and  Mason, 
being  the  first  of  our  citizens  ever  elected  to  Congress.  He  was  followed  in  1874  by  A. 
E.  Stevenson,  who  is  our  present  member,  having  been  again  elected  in  November, 
1878. 

Judge  Thomas  F.  Tipton,  another  Bloomingtonian,  was  chosen  to  Congress  in 
1876.  Our  city  is  now  rather  noted  for  its  willingness  to  furnish  Congressmen,  or,  in 
fact,  candidates  for  almost  any  position.  We  believe  Bloomington  has  always  had  the 
Judge  of  this  judicial  district  ever  since  it  was  first  filled  by  David  Davis  in  1848.  He 
was  succeeded  in  1862  by  John  M.  Scott,  who  was  promoted  from  the  Circuit  to  the 
Supreme  Bench  in  1870.  Thomas  F.  Tipton  was  our  Judge  from  the  latter  date  until 
he  was  sent  to  Washington,  as  noted  before,  and  Owen  T.  Reeves  was  then  chosen  to  fill 
the  vacancy.     Our  judges  have  been  distinguished  for  their  ability  and  impartiality. 


II   n   John  M    Scotl  was  elected  to  th<   Suprem     I  •  neh  "t   Illinois  in  June,  1-7" 
II    bad  I     ii  Circuit  Judge  here  from  I8l  II-    had  alao  filled 

•■ii\  and  county,  having  been,  when  ;i  young  man,  Cit)  Clerk  and  <         \" 
previous  to  lii-  i  lecti  in  as  Circuit  Judge,  he  bad   in  I  352,  filled  the  position  of  Jud| 
Probate,  and  bad  held  other  appointments      ll<   i  ighl  office  but  has  been  01 

those  careful,  competent,  well-balanced  men  who  an  ■■■  that,  when  met  with,  the 

public  insist  upon  elevating  them  to  offices  of  honor  and  trust.     Ju  I      -      •  i-  :i  i 
[llinoisao,   having  been  born  near  Belleville,  St    Clair  County,  in  1-  II 

honored  with  the  above-mentioned  offices,  while  at  the  same  time  he  has  conferred 
ini\  upon  everj  om  he  has  filled,  being  a  cultured  gentleman  whom  peopli 

proud  in  refer  t<>  as  ;i  model  official.       Per  two  yean  of  the  nine  during  which  I" 
has  been  upon  the  Supn  me  Bench,  b<  I  bief  Justice  of  the  Bupn  m<  Court  of  the 

f  Illinois 

Jud      D   rid  Davis,  om   of  the  oldest  and  foremost  of  Ml oington's  pion< 

gentleman  who  I  u  highlj  promoted  different  :ii  times,  and  we  will  refer  to  him  by 

■  (juotation  from  the  carefully-prepared  article  in  "The  {'< I  Old  Times  in   M   I 

County,"  bj  Prof  Duis,  which  does  him  justice  in  better  terms  than  we  oan  command 

I  i  •  light   nf  Bloomiogton  David    Davis       II-    ■•■ 

County,  M<l  .  on  the  9th  of  March,  1816.     H<  •'  Kenyon  College,  Ohio,  on  the  1 1 1 ■  of 

and  oommeneed  Lbs  atudv  of  law  at  Lenox,  Mi--  .  in  October  following,  In  the 
of  Judge   Henry  W.  Bishop.     Aftei   studying  there  for  tu  be  west   to  the 

I,  where  he  remained  until  the  full  of  iv  16,  when  he  removed  to  Pekin, 
well  Co.,  111.      after  practicing  law  for  one  year  In  Pekin,  he  removed  to  Bloomington,  winch 
..■r  iine<  bis   home.     Here  hi  led  to  the  law  business  of  Mi     lease  \\     Pell, 

■    une  much  interested  in  operations  in  tte      He  took  possession  ol   Mr    Pell's  old 

which  was  one  door  east  of  what  is  no*  Mr    Da  1  in  the 

ry  outset.     He  a  i  great  oral  »r,  d  ry  Buenl  talker,  but   he  . 

elear-minded  man,  and  Boon  took  a  front  rank  in  bis  ohosen  protest 

On  the  18th  of  October,   1838,  Ju>lge   Davis  married  Miss  Sarah  Walker,  at    Lenox,  M 
hter  of  Judge  w  tlker,  of  that  State.     Judge  Davis  I  hildren  livii 

daughter.     The  former  ia   living  with  hie  familj  m  In  t.  R40, 

Mr.  Davis  a  of  the  wi  it  Gov.  Moore,  but 

jful        fin-  Senatorial    District   then  eml  lie  counties  irie, 

i.  Piatt,  De  Witt,  McLean  and    Livingston      In    1844,  Mr    Da  to  the 

mbly,  but  declined  l  In  1847,  hi 

iber  •'!  the  Constitutional  Convention;  and,  in    1848,  w  a   bj  th<  .  without 

..  tu  be  Judge  oi  the  Eighth  Judicial  Circuit,  embracing  loui  tei 
.  posil         :  i  which  Judgi    l1  eminently  Blted      It    ha  if  him,  thai  bis 

ing  eharacteristii  a  of  equity,  and  this,  combined  with  a  strong  will,  quick 

and   ■  .rest  judgment,  mads  h  as  universal  His  di 

seldom  appe  tied  from    and  n 

The   Eighth  Judicial  Circuit,    which   ei  first,    fourteen 

ut  rarely  equaled  a ng  the  same  number  ol  the 

leader  ••!  the  it,  following  him  cl<  rere   Lincoln,   Btu 

••I  Thornton,   Hon   0    B    Pioklin,  Judge  Bmen 

I  others,  soma  of  n  bom 
in  bistorj       Lincoln  i  in  their  tr  i   the 

i  at   the 
ps  which  bave  made  bin  Mr    D  Mr 

n  i'\  in-  oelebrai  i  fol- 

j  r  in  the  tin 


1' 

The  is  one  of  memorable  interest    in    Illinois.       Some  tefore  this,  many 

prominent  citizens  of  the  State  resolved  i"  pren  Abraham  Lincoln  aa  a  oandidate  for  President 
of  the  United  States,  and  during  this  year  the  excitement  was  bo  intense  that  nearly  all 
business  was  at  ■  standstill,  because  the  lawyers  and  judges  devoted  all  of  their  time  to  the 
campaign.  Judge  Davis  was,  by  Tar,  the  most  active  ami  influential  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  support- 
ex,  anl  his  labor*  were  almost  herculean.  Perhaps  some  idea  may  he  given  of  the  labors  of 
Judge  Davis  by  giving  an  extract  from  a  letter  written  l>y  Mr.  Jesse  W.  Fell  to  a  late  distin- 
guished  8<  t   the  United  States,  in  regard  to  a  question  by  the  latter  as  to  the   part   taken 

by  Mr.    Fell   in   the   campaign   of  1860.      The   question  was   suggested   by  an  autobiography  of 
Abraham  Lincoln,  of  which  Mr.  Fell  was  the  proprietor,  recently  published  by  Osgood  &  C 
Boston.     The  following  is  the  extract  : 

"  Before  responding  to  your  inquiries,  allow  me  to  say,  you  give  me  much  more  credit  than 
I  am  entitled  to  for  the  part  I  took  in  bringing  before  the  American  people  the  name  of  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  as  a  candidate  tor  tin-  Presidency.  Your  original  impres>inn~  were  originally  cor- 
rect. To  Judge  l>a\is  more  than  to  any  other  man,  living  or  dead,  the  American  peoplt 
indebted  lor  that  extraordinary  piece  of  good-fortune — the  nomination  and  consequent  election 
of  that  man  who  combined  in  his  person,  in  so  high  a  degree,  the  elements  necessary  to  a  suc- 
cessful administration  of  the  Government  through  the  late  most  critical  period  in  our  national 
history.  It  is  quite  possible  Mr.  Lincoln's  fitness,  or,  rather,  availability, as  a  candidate  for  that 
position  may  have  occurred  to  me  before  it  did  to  the  Judge;  but  at  an  early  date,  as  early.  I 
think,  as  1858,  it  had  his  earnest  approval;  and,  I  need  not  say,  his  vastly  superior  influence 
gave  to  his  opinion  on  this  subject  a  weight  and  character  which  my  private  and  humble  opin- 
ion could  not  command.  It  is  well  known  that  Judge  Davis,  though  not  a  delegate,  was  one  of 
the  leading  men  at  the  Decatur  State  Convention,  in  May,  1860,  which  elected  delegates  to  the 
Chicago  National  Convention  ;  that  be  was  there  selected  as  one  of  the  Senatorial  delegates  to  the 
latter  body;  that,  for  more  than  a  week  prior  to  the  nomination,  he  had.  in  connection  with 
Other  friends  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  opened  the  '  Lincoln  Headquarters,'  at  the  Tremont  House,  Chi- 
cago, where,  and  throughout  the  city,  wherever  delegates  were  to  be  found,  he  labored  day  in  1 
night,  almost  sleeplessly,  throughout  that  long  and  dramatically-interesting  contest,  working 
with  a  zeal,  assiduity  and  skill  never  surpassed,  if  ever  equaled  ;  and  that  when  those  herculean 
labors  culminated  in  the  choice  of  his  trusted  and  most  confidential  friend,  his  feelings  so  over- 
powered him  that,  not  only  then  but  for  hours  after,  in  grasping  the  bands  of  congratulating 
friends,  be  wept  like  a  child.  Whilst  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  without  the  hearty  and  vigor- 
ous co-operation  of  quite  a  number  of  equally  eminent  men,  the  prestige  attached  to  the  names 
of  Seward  and  others  could  not  have  been  broken  and  this  nomination  secured,  no  one  as  famil- 
iar as  I  was  with  what  was  then  and  there  enacted,  can  doubt  for  a  moment  the  pre-eminent  part 
there  played  by  the  Judge.  Among  Lincoln  hosts  he  was  emphatically  the  great  central  figure 
the  great  motor  of  the  hour.     '  Render  unto  Caesar  the  things  that  are  Cajsar's.'  ' 

In  1861,  Judge  Davis,  Judge  Holt  and  Mr.  Campbell  were  chosen  by  Lincoln  to  investigate 

the  management  of  Quartermaster  Mekinstry.  who  held  his  office  under  Gen,  Fremont.  The 
investigation  was  thorough  and  laid  bare  the  corruption  and  mismanagement  of  affairs  in  St. 
Loui«. 

In  lsi;-J,  Judge  Davis  was  appointed  by  Abraham  Lincoln  one  of  the  Associate  Justiot 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States.  This  appointment  was  not  made  by  any  persona] 
solicitation  of  Judge  Davis,  but  simply  on  account  of  Mr".  Lincoln's  knowledge  of  the  man  and 
by  the  effort  of  friends.  At  the  time  of  his  appointment,  he  was  well  known  in  Illinois  as  a  man 
of  great  judicial  learning  and  the  best  of  judgment,  but  his  reputation  had  not  gone  beyond  his 
State,  U  he  had  never  filled  a  position  where  his  decisions  would  be  published.  Hut,  when  lie 
came  to   the  Supreme   Bench    of  the    Tinted  States,  his   reputation  IS  I    jurist  went  beyond   the 

sanguine  expectations  of  bis  friends.  \  writer  in  the  Imt  teas  I  iw  Timet,  in  discussing 
the  character  ol  Judge  Davis,  saj  .  ••  Judge  Davis  Is  ■  natural  lawyer,  ■  character  so  truly  great 
that  to  doubt  him  would  be  impossible.  Ili>  mind  is  all  equity  and  as  vigorous  as  it  is  kind, 
}le  is  progressive,  and  yet  oautious  :   a  people's  judge,  and   yet  a  lawyer.         His  opinion  in   the 


107 

Milligan  case  has  attracted  more  attention  from  the  people  at  large  than  any  derision  since  that 
of  Judge  Taney  in  the  Dred  Scott  case.  Judge  Davis  lays  ilown  some  fundamental  principles 
of  constitutional  law  which  will  stand  as  landmarks  for  ages  after  he  shall  have  been  gathered 
to  his  fathers.  Judge  Davis  has  been  remarkably  successful  as  a  dealer  in  real  estate,  and  in 
all  of  his  purchases  and  sales  has  shown  the  very  best  of  judgment.  His  first  purchase  of  real 
estate  was  made  in  Chicago;  but  as  he  was  associated  with  others  and  the  disposition  of  the 
property  was  in  a  great  measure  beyond  his  control,  the  speculation  was  not  fortunate.  Never- 
theless, he  had  great  faith  in  the  future  of  Chicago,  although  it  then  numbered  but  a  few 
hundred  inhabitants,  and  he  purchased  an  eighty-acre  tract  of  land  about  three  miles  from  the 
harbor.  It  now  sells  by  the  foot,  so  far  as  it  is  ottered  for  sale.  It  is  to  this  fortunate  invest- 
ment that  he  is  indebted  in  part  for  the  ample  fortune  he  possesses. 

His  policy  in  dealing  in  real  estate  has  been  to  purchase  property  in  the  suburbs  of  a 
growing  town  in  order  that  it  might  become  valuable  with  the  increase  of  the  place  in  size  and 
prosperity.  He  was  always  careful  to  buy  land  intrinsically  valuable,  considering  what  it  would 
produce,  so  that  in  any  event  his  speculation  would  be  a  safe  one.  As  is  well  known,  Judge 
Davis  is  a  man  of  great  public  spirit,  but  thinks  public  matters  should  be  managed  as  other 
business  matters  are,  on  a  good  financial  basis.  He  has  been  charged  with  being  indifferent  in 
the  matter  of  subscribing  to  build  railroads.  His  theory  with  regard  to  railroads  is  that  they 
should  be  built  where  it  will  pay  to  build  them  as  an  investment,  and  that  the  idea  of  voting  aid 
from  towns,  counties  and  States,  or  donating  lands  along  the  line  of  the  proposed  road  is  wrong 
in  principle. 

He  believes  that  capitalists  are  always  sharp  enough  to  see  where  it  will  pay  to  invest  their 
money  and  are  ready  to  build  railroads  which  will  return  a  fair  profit  to  the  investors.  He 
thinks  that  the  voting  of  aid  by  towns  and  counties  and  making  land-grants  result  in  many 
cases  in  building  roads  which  will  not  pay  running  expenses,  and  in  others  of  putting  roads  in 
the  hands  of  unprincipled  managers  who  care  nothing  whatever  for  the  people  who  have  helped 
them  and  the  towns  that  have  voted  them  aid.  Under  these  circumstances,  he  has  always  been 
very  conservative  and  cool  about  assisting  railroads,  and  some  fault  has  been  found  with  him 
for  so  doing,  but  many  of  those  who  have  blamed  him  in  times  past,  are  now  very  much  of  his 
way  of  thinking.  Bloomington  and  Normal  have  been  very  much  benefited  by  their  State  insti- 
tutions— the  Normal  School  and  the  Soldiers'  Orphans'  Home.  The  location  of  these  institu- 
tions here  was  due  in  a  great  measure  to  Judge  Davis,  who  donated  forty  acres  of  land  to  the 
Normal  School  and  sixty  acres  to  the  Orphans'  Home.  The  former  donation  was  worth  at  the 
time  when  given,  $4,000  and  the  latter  $12,000.  It  will  be  remembered  that  great  exertions 
were  made  to  have  these  institutions  taken  elsewhere,  and  Judge  Davis'  example  and  influence 
did  very  much  to  prevent  their  transfer.  So  far  as  matters  of  charity  are  concerned  it  is  not 
usually  safe  to  speak  definitely  of  any  one.  People  who  have  the  greatest  reputation  for  charity 
usually  only  deserve  part  of  the  credit  they  receive,  as  a  suspicion  is  sometimes  aroused  that 
their  charities  are  performed  to  be  seen  of  men.  Judge  Davis  does  not  indulge  in  ostentatious 
charity,  but  his  friends  assert  that  very  few  can  be  found  anywhere  so  liberal,  even  when  judged 
by  the  proper  standard — ability  to  give. 

Judge  Davis  was,  at  one  time,  enabled  to  do  some  service  to  the  city  of  Bloomington  by 
saving  to  it  the  machine-shops  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad.  These  shops  secure  a  monthly 
disbursement  of  $50,000,  and  the  matter  is  of  the  greatest  importance  to  Bloomington.  When 
they  were  burned  down,  Judge  Davis  was  holding  court  in  Chicago  ;  he  there  learned  that  it  was 
the  intention  of  various  parties  to  make  an  effort  to  transfer  the  machine-shops  to  another  point. 
He  immediately  gave  notice  to  the  citizens  of  Bloomington,  who  took  active  measures  to  save 
them. 

There  was  more  danger  of  the  shops  going  to  Chicago  than  the  public  in  Bloom- 
ington generally  imagined,  but  Judge  Davis  understood  the  real  state  of  affairs  better 
than  any  one  else,  and  Bloomington  is  deeply  indebted  to  him  for  his  services  on  this 
occasion. 


108 

For  the  benefit  of  future  historians,  we  will  explain  Judge  Davis'  connection  with 
the  famous  Cincinnati  Convention  of  May  2,  1872.  There  were  in  the  Republican 
party  a  large  number  of  men  who  were  very  much  opposed  to  the  renomination  of 
President  Grant.  Some  of  these  were  disappointed  office-seekers,  but  the  majority  of 
those  who  were  in  the  foreground  of  the  movement  were  men  who  were  of  the  purest 
motives,  looking  for  "  civil-service  reform."  It  was  thought  that  if  a  Republican  could 
be  agreed  upon  at  Cincinnati  who  was  likely  to  carry  a  large  number  of  votes  from  his 
own  party,  he  would  be  nominated  by  the  regular  Democratic  Convention  and  elected 
President ;  while  it  was  seen  that  the  nomination  of  a  regular  Democrat,  with  no  sup- 
porters except  from  his  own  party,  would  insure  his  defeat.  From  Judge  Davis'  inde- 
pendent position,  he  having  been  known  for  years  as  a  Republican,  having  been  one  of 
Abraham  Lincoln's  warmest  friends,  being  the  executor  of  Mr.  L.'s  estate,  being  well 
known  all  over  the  country  for  his  high  standing  as  a  Judge  in  the  Supreme  Court  of 
the  United  States,  there  is  little  doubt  that,  had  he  been  nominated  at  Cincinnati,  he 
might  have  proved  much  stronger  than  Horace  Greeley,  who  was  the  choice  of  that 
Convention,  and  was  accepted  by  the  Democrats  at  their  National  Convention  soon  after. 
When  it  was  seen  that  a  strong  effort  would  be  made  at  Cincinnati  to  secure  the  nomi- 
nation for  Judge  Davis,  his  personal  friends  in  Bloomington  rallied  with  wonderful 
enthusiasm.  A  special  train  of  eight  passenger-coaches  left  this  city  for  Cincinnati,, 
carrying  nearly  three  hundred  Bloomingtonians,  who  were  full  of  zeal  for  their  candi- 
date. Probably  Bloomington  never  experienced  such  a  peculiar  excitement  as  during 
the  few  days  that  preceded  this  excursion,  and  the  time  that  elapsed  till  May  3,  when 
the  result  at  Cincinnati  became  known.  Judge  Davis'  friends  were  fully  persuaded 
that  he  would  be  nominated,  and  that,  in  that  event,  he  would  be  the  next  President. 
His  life-long  friends  were  rejoiced  at  the  prospect  of  such  good-fortune,  while  the  citi- 
zens generally,  whether  personally  or  politically  friendly  or  not,  were  pleased  at  the 
prominence  that  would  be  given  to  Bloomington  in  case  of  his  success. 

The  Bloomingtonians  at  Cincinnati,  strengthened  by  the  other  delegations  from 
Illinois,  infused  great  enthusiasm  into  the  movement,  and,  on  the  first  ballot,  Judge 
Davis  carried  a  large  vote  in  the  Convention.  He  was  not  regarded  as  sufficiently 
known  all  over  the  Union,  and  Horace  Greeley  was  the  fortunate,  or,  as  the  event 
proved,  unfortunate,  nominee. 

But  this  event  was  not  needed  to  prove  the  strong  hold  Judge  Davis  has  upon  the 
affections  of  his  neighbors,  who  well  know  the  many  instances  in  which  he  has  assisted 
the  home  of  his  adoption  in  nearly  all  plans  that  have  been  inaugurated,  for  the  public 
good.  During  his  whole  career  in  this  place,  he  has  been  one  of  the  foremost  in  nearly 
every  public  enterprise,  so  that  particular  enumeration  here  is  entirely  unnecessary. 

In  the  winter  of  1877  and  1878,  at  the  Senatorial  election,  when  the  Legisla- 
ture was  called  upon  to  choose  a  successor  to  Gen.  John  A.  Logan,  there  was  a  long 
contest  before  a  choice  was  effected.  The  Republican  party  in  the  Legislature  lacked 
several  of  a  majority.  The  balance  of  power  between  the  Democrats  and  Republicans 
was  held  by  five  or  six  Senators  and  Representatives  who  were  called  Independents, 
though  sympathizing  more  with  the  Democrats  than  with  the  supporters  of  Gen.  Logan, 
who  had  been  voted  for  by  the  Republicans  for  several  days  in  succession.  The  Repub- 
licans balloted  for  other  persons — Judge  C.  B.  Lawrence  among  others.  Finally,  the 
Independents   proposed  Judge  David   Davis,  whose   political   sentiments    were  almost 


unknown,  though   hi  ightly  to  th<    D  md  t-- 

maoh  in  >\  mpathy  with  the  [ndependenU     A  w  ballot*,  the  whole  strength 

of  ill'    Den  i  >n\ ,  wiili  one  or  !  a  |  led  t--  the  ■■  I 

I  ».i\  id  Davis  to  the  United  »5 

:  wiili  tin'  till  da)  of  March,  1878 

lli>   high   standing     4a  J  the  ti  ipreme  Court  of  tk      I 

in  connection  with  hia  well-l  which  fault   on   politi 

qui  re  1 1 i hi  .in  enviable  position  in  th<    3  be  wields  an  influi 

e  proud.     Be  baa  oontinued   im|  fill  the 

political  position  he  was  expected    i up)      thai  of  an    [ndependeut,  with 

to  the  side  of  the    D  Bloomington,  is  well  as  the  wh 

lllincii-.  may  well  feel  honored   in  beinj  d  in   the   Unit 

David  Davis 

POl  ITICAI     in- 1  ■  •  it ^ 

(tnr  <it\  has  always  claimed  thai   the  great  Republican  part)  of  the  nation  ba 
birth  at  Major's  Sail  in  1856.       \t  the  ri-i\  of  being  attacked  for  oar  audacil  will 

und  to  declare  tbia  a  spurious  claim      In   the  fall  of  1854    th<  the 

n  Mil  all  over  the  country  fought  it-  battles  under  different   nami 

3        -     \        -  lea  Democrats,  the  Whig  or  American  party;  though  in  M   - 

<-li  Soilers    ind   A.nti-Nebraska  Democrats  bad  declared  themselves  I 

Republicans.     The  election   of  Speaker  in  Congress  in   the  winter  of  1855  and    1  - 

suited  in  the  choii t'  N    1'    Banks,  who   bad  1 n   elected  as  a    Republi   in  and 

American,  in    1854      It   is,  however,  a  fad  that    a  convention  called  as  th         Lnti 
\  braska  Stat    I    i    ention  "  assembled  in  Major's  Hall,  in  Bloomington,  M 
which  nominated  William  II.  Biasell  for  Governor,  which  was  a  most  enthusiast] 
ition,  was  addressed  b)  Abraham   Lincoln,  and  was   practically  the  first  Republican 
1  invention  ever  held  in  the  State  of  Dlinois. 
I.  ■    is  examine  a  letter  signed  "Anti-Nebraska,"   published    \ 
B  in  Pa  oh  :        I   am  in  favor  of  issuing  a  call  for  a  S         Conven- 

tion i   bj    Whigs,  D  ind  persons  of  all  other  t  I   faiths.     Let  all 

opposed  to  tin-    •  ther  upon  equal  r, and  whei 

them  organize  and   I  plana  bj  which  t->  carry  the  State      \-  to  the  name  under 

which  we  might   organize  and   fight,   I   should   care  but   little.     Th<    on  I  <1    in 

■  Republicans,   is,  perhaps,  as  unobjectionable  a-  any  other. 

V  NTI-N  ]  I 

Here  we  have  proof  that   as  earl)  as  August,  1854,  the  name  of  the  new  | 
i  been  applied  in  Massachu 
There   was    it  Potter  (   »unt)     Penn.,  Jul)   I.  1854,  when   the   II 

.1   ihua  R.  Giddings    md  othi  inizcd  ;;  it   into  the  " Republican  " 

I  lings  of  this  m  r.l  -.1  in  the   /'         ( 

•■_\  Willi  mi    Perry,  Esq     if  t 
the  in- ■  ind  w<-ll  rem  Mr.  Giddings   spoke  of  th  on  ■-!'  tl 

Dg  inaugurated  all  I 

in  whs  M       .  ind  Pen i 

if  that   (hi    Ki  publican  part)  -li: 

I I   .  icld  in 

Kane  C      in  t  1854 


110 

It  is  on  record  that  during  this  month  a  County  Convention  in  La  Salle  County, 
111.,  adopted  the  same  name.  Furthermore,  Hon.  Washington  Bushnell,  of  Ottawa,  111., 
sent  to  Mr.  A.  B.  Ives,  of  this  city,  printed  notices  for  calling  a  Republican  County 
Convention  here  on  the  9th  of  September,  1854.  These  notices  were  posted  by  Mr. 
Ives.  The  idea  of  such  a  convention  was  derided  by  our  leading  politicians,  who 
regarded  this  movement  as  a  sort  of  disguised  abolitionism.  This  convention  was  held 
at  our  old  Court  House,  its  proceedings  attracting  very  little  attention.  The  Pantagraph, 
then  a  Whig  paper,  contained  an  able  editorial  arguing  against  the  formation  of  a  new 
party,  which  is  almost  the  only  evidence  we  find  in  its  files  that  any  movement  was  in 
contemplation.  It  did  not  even  deign  to  give  a  regular  editorial  report  of  the  County 
Convention,  which  is  thus  reported  in  the  Weekly  Pantagraph  of  September  13,  1854: 

REPUBLICAN. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  voters  of  McLean  County,  held  pursuant  to  notice,  at  the  Court  House 
in  Bloomington,  on  Saturday,  the  9th  day  of  September,  for  the  purpose  of  appointing  delegates 
to  the  District  Convention  to  be  held  at  Springfield,  on  motion,  Dr.  J.  R.  Freese  was  called  to 
the  chair,  and  A.  B.  Ives  was  appointed  Secretary.  On  motion,  the  following  delegates  were 
chosen,  to  wit :  Dr.  R.  0.  Warinner,  Dr.  J.  R.  Freese,  Oliver  Graves,  A.  B.  Ives,  Bloomington  ; 
N.  N.  Jones,  Hudson  :   VV.  F.  M.  Amy,  North  Bloomington. 

On  motion  of  Dr.  J.  R.  Freese.  it  was 

Resolved,  That  our  delegates  be  instructed  to  have  added  to  the  platform  of  the  new  party 
(if  one  is  formed)  the  Anti-Liquor  plank. 

Resolved,  That  the  delegates  have  power  to  fill  vacancies,  and  that  the  proceedings  of  this 

meeting  be  published  in  the  Daily  Pantagraph. 

J.  R.  FREESE,  Chairman. 

A.   B.  IVES,  Secretary. 

The  State  Convention  to  which  these  delegates  were  appointed,  met  at  Springfield, 
October  5,  1854.  It  was  attended  by  only  twenty-six  delegates,  who  were  mostly 
Abolitionists,  Owen  Lovejoy,  Ichabod  Codding  and  Erastus  Wright  having  been  the 
moving  spirits.  On  the  5th  of  October,  it  nominated  John  E.  McClun,  of  McLean,  as 
a  candidate  for  State  Treasurer.  In  a  short  time,  the  name  of  James  Miller,  of  Bloom- 
ington, was  substituted  for  that  of  Judge  McClun,  but  the  latter  gentleman  is  entitled 
to  the  honor  of  having  been  the  first  Republican  nominee  in  Illinois  for  a  State  office. 
This  Convention  is  not  generally  considered  as  the  first  Republican  State  Convention, 
its  numbers  having  been  insignificant  and  its  organization  imperfect,  but  it  is  historically 
the  earliest  on  record. 

This  is  the  same  State  Convention  recommended  in  the  Pantagraplis  communica- 
tion of  the  date  of  August  9,  1854,  and  we  have  now  plainly  shown  the  chain  of  title 
from  its  beginning  to  its  ending,  proving  that  Bloomington  assisted  the  general  move- 
ment for  a  new  party,  but  that  our  city  originated  very  little  that  was  new  in  this 
direction. 

Very  few  of  the  delegates  appointed  at  the  Republican  meeting  at  the  Court 
House  September  9,  1854,  attended  the  State  Convention  of  which  we  have  spoken, 
but  they  were  present  at  the  Congressional  Convention  held  at  Major's  Hall  September  12. 
This  district,  at  that  time,  was  made  up  of  Bureau,  La  Salle,  Will,  Kendall,  Kankakee, 
Iroquois,  Putnam,  Woodford,  McLean,  Livingston,  Champaign  and  Vermilion  Counties. 
Among  the  delegates  were  some  of  the  class  known  as  Republicans,  or  Abolitionists, 
while  others  were  "  Anti- Nebraska"   Whigs  and   Democrats.      The   Convention  was 


•    Bloom  in  Abolition 

•  i  enough  t"< »r  .ill  pui  In  th(  n 

of  the  Convention,  the     R<  |  ublic  in    •  It  menl    th<  n  conaidi  r<  d  about  th< 

liiidiii-i-    obtained  the  organization,  and  the  C mitti  I       rention 

adopted  a  lull   set  of  Elepublioan  resolutions,  which  were  thought  to 
j,|,  i  which  were  intended  t<>  be  too  radical  t'..r  the  support  of  Jei 

ii    Norton,  wl  th<    \m:  N        ska  and  also  Old-Line  Wl  nomi- 

nation.     To  th<  surprise  of  ill,  Mr    Norton  planted  himself  aquan  Ii      ib- 

lican   platform 

The  Bupportera  of  the  opposing  oand  M  r.  C    Coffin,  who  was  also  a  Whig, 

withdrew  from  Major's  Ball  and  assembled  :it  the  Pike  Sous*     T 
in.  nt  in  Bloomington;  committees  conferred  between  the  two  wings  of  the  Convention, 
and,  si  11  o'clock  al  night,  the  seceders  returned  from  the  E*ike  1 1 •  >u-.-.  participated  in 
the  meeting,  and  the  Hon.  Ji  sse  0    N  irton,  of  Joliet,  wss  oomio  i  Republican. 

This  Convention  was  large  and  enthusiastic,  and  was  the  real  parent  of  the   Republican 
•v  in  McLean  County,  although  many  of  the  Whigs  of  that  day  would  not  aoknowl- 
„••  themselvi  -  as  members  of  the  new  party. 

The  platform  of  this  Convention  was  strongly  "Anti-Nebraska,1  of  course,  was 
,|ii  ■  ictory  t"  the  Abolitionists,  and,  though  not  as  radical  u  en  demanded 

by  the  latter  class,  it  was  ible  t"  the  "  Anti-Nebraska     Whigs  and    Demi 

and  by  ;i  union  of  these  three  parties  the  Elepublican  party  was  formed.  In  the  plat- 
form, the  "  new  party,"  referred  to  in  the  Court  1 1  < <u~.-  meeting  of  September  9 
named  the  Elepublican  party.  This  was  probably  the  first  convention  of  any  note  of 
tin-  new  part)  held  anywhere  in  the  West,  though,  as  we  have  mentioned  abovi  N  P. 
Banks  and  others  wer<  chosen  to  Congress  as  Republicans  from  Massachusetts  .it  the 
-.mi.-  election.     The  fact   seems  t ■ .  be  that  all  over  the  country,  wherever  the  r;i'li<;il 

\w  \        jka"  men  were  powerful,   there  attempts  were   msde  during  th<-  fall 
l-v">l.  to  organize  a  new  party;  and  the  meeting  held   in    Bloomington  was  not  held  in 
of  others  in  different  Stat  - 
resolutions  of  thi     I        ention  were  not  printed  in  the   Weekly  Pantograph, 
then  a  Whig  paper,  which  is  the  only  til.-  of  newspapers  of  that  date  to  which  we  ha 
port  of  the  <  lonvention  is  as  follow  - 


III  li    \.\     luMIMh.V 


I       Convention  in  session   in  this   plao  Her  rather  a  stirring   time, 

ami  |*:». — iti-_r  througl  -  indicative  of  the  elements  of  which  it 

:  late   hour  last  night  by  nominatin     H       -1         0.  Nortoi       Oi 

ansible  men,  honest  in  their  an  I    N        skat  atiments,  tl  1  to 

in. in  in. in  who  could  1 lected.     Mr.  Norton    -  do*  what  he  I  i 

W  bi  h.  he  may  well  I  by  i  ! 

'I'll.    W  M  '•'•  The  Ri  publicans  heir 

\|      :  -    Hall  resolutions,  which  hi  bad  indorsed,  voted  for  him    is    i   H  pub 

•    \ 
Att1..-  Ja         II    w      i  ■.  »rth,  of  t 'li.  :   •     i 

li  from  the  •  'hie  igo   / 

1  -.'■  i  .III'..  ]  • 


112 

(Nebraska  Democrat),  695  ;  Mayo  (Anti-Nebraska  Democrat),  70  ;  Blackwell  (  Whig), 
249."  In  the  summary  of  Congressmen  elected,  we  find  Norton  classed  as  a  Whig, 
Woodworth  as  a  Republican,  while  in  one  district  an  Anti-Nebraska  Democrat  was 
chosen.  All  this  in  1854  proves  that  there  was  a  Republican  party  at  that  time.  The 
Republican  party  carried  the  State  of  Massachusetts  at  the  election  in  1855.  When 
N.  P.  Banks  reached  Washington,  in  the  fall  of  1855,  he  and  others  were  willing  to 
be  called  Republicans,  and  when  the  long  contest  over  his  election  as  Speaker  ended,  in 
January,  1856,  he  was  known  all  over  the  Union  as  a  Republican.  In  the  light  oi 
these  facts,  it  is  ridiculous  for  Bloomington  to  claim  that  the  Republican  party  had  its 
origin  and  birthplace  here.  If  there  is  any  historical  honor  connected  with  the  mat- 
ter, it  attaches  itself  to  the  meeting  held  in  our  Court  House  September  9,  1854, 
whose  proceedings  we  have  given  above.  However,  the  Republican  State  Convention 
held  at  Major's  Hall,  May  29,  1856,  was  of  the  greatest  historical  importance,  as  we 
shall  see. 

This  Convention  was  largely  attended  by  delegates  from  all  the  principal  counties, 
ai  d  was  a  most  remarkable  gathering.  John  M.  Palmer  presided,  and  Abraham  Lin- 
€oIn  made  his  celebrated  speech.  The  "Anti-Nebraska"  Whigs  and  Democrats,  with 
the  Abolitionists,  and  those  who,  in  1854,  were  willing  to  be  called  Republicans,  who 
in  this  State  were  not  numerous,  with  a  large  number  of  the  Americans,  coalesced  will- 
ingly into  one  party  and  took  upon  themselves  boldly  the  name  of  "  Republican,"  which 
had  now  since  the  election  of  Speaker  Banks,  became  a  name  of  national  importance. 
The  enthusiasm  of  the  convention  was  most  tremendous,  and  here  was  started  the 
movement  which  resulted  in  the  perfect  organization  of  the  Republican  party  of  Illi- 
nois. The  nominees  of  this  Convention  were  elected.  Hon.  William  H.  Bissell  was 
elected  Governor,  and  James  Miller,  of  Bloomington,  State  Treasurer,  while  the  speech 
of  Mr.  Lincoln  resulted  in  his  election  to  the  Presidency. 

Ward  H.  Lamon,  a  resident  of  Bloomington  from  1857  to  1861  when  he  became 
Marshal  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  in  his  life  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  says :  "  Mr.  Hern- 
don  drew  up  a  paper  to  be  signed  by  men  of  his  class  in  politics,  calling  a  County  Con- 
vention to  elect  delegates  to  the  State  Convention  at  Bloomington.  '  Mr.  Lincoln  was 
then  backward,'  rsays  Mr.  Herndon,  '  dodgey,'  so  and  so.  I  was  determined  to  make 
him  take  a  stand,  if  he  would  not  do  it  willingly,  which  he  might  have  done,  as 
he  was  naturally  inclined  Abolitionward.  Lincoln  was  absent  when  the  call  was  signed 
and  circulated  here.  I  signed  Mr.  Lincoln's  name  without  authority — had  it  published 
in  the  Journal.  John  T.  Stuart  was  keeping  his  eye  on  Lincoln,  with  the  view  of 
keeping  him  on  his  side,  the  totally  dead  conservative  side.  Mr.  Stuart  saw  the  pub- 
lished call,  and  grew  mad  ;  rushed  into  my  office,  seemed  mad,  horrified,  and  said  to  me, 
'Sir,  did  Mr.  Lincoln  sign  that  abolition  call  which  is  published  this  morning?"  I 
answered, '  Mr.  Lincoln  did  not  sign  that  call.'  '  Did  Lincoln  authorize  you  to  sign  it  ?  ' 
said  Mr.  Stuart.  'No,  he  never  authorized  me  to  sign  it.'  'Then  do  you  know  that 
you  have  ruined  Mr.  Lincoln?  '  'I  did  not  know  that  I  had  ruined  Mr.  Lincoln — did 
not  intend  to  do  so — thought  he  was  a  made  man  by  it — that  the  time  had  come  when 
conservatism  was  a  crime  and  a  blunder.'  '  You,  then,  take  the  responsibility  of  your 
acts,  do  you  ?  '  'I  do,  most  emphatically.'  However,  I  instantly  sat  down  and  wrote 
to  Mr.  Lincoln,  who  was  then  in  Pekin,  or  Tremont,  possibly  at  court.  He  received 
my  letter,  and  instantly  replied,  either  by  letter  or  telegraph,  most  likely  by  letter,  that 


II 

irhut  I  had  Kad 

li-Iikc  in-  n     .it  Bloomi  i 

\  ■   i  '•  ■     I .  [J  n  the 

.  tlie  faith  and  •  -i    in  the  work  mall.      I 

m,  although  (I--  must  important  one  il  d  the 

We  m  Mr.  Hern  Ion  iu 

Mr.  I. in  baptit  d  and   joined  our  church      II-   i 

I  ha\  M i    Lim 

judgment ,  thai  the  B 
ii  and  up  to  this  moment,  he  hadsimpl)  mon 

n  a  hat  are  called  1 1  -  •  1 1  i  1 1  _■  i 

ti  ii  of  the  radical  nnd  the  eternal  right       Now  h  \\l\  ba| 

he  had  the  fervorol  I  flame  broke  out ,  enthusiasm  unu 

to  him  blazed  up;   I  glow  wit h  an  iospiration ;  he  felt  justii 

alive  to  the  righi  sympathies,  remarkably  deep  for   him,  b  u  th,  and  he  - 

re  the  throne  of  the  Eternal  Right,  in  the  presence  of  1  and  then  ami  1 

.   his  p  mitential  an  I  G  This 

rial,  filled  with  fervor  not    unmixed   with  a  divine  enthusiasm  ;  his  head  breathing 

out  through  hid  tender  heart  its  truths  if  right,  and  it-  I  of  the  \i I  and 

This  Bp<         was  full  of  fire,  and  energy,  and  force;  it  w 
pathos,  il  was  enthusiasm;  it  wasjusti  lity,  truth,  right  and   I 

by  the  divine  fit  soul  maddened  by  the  a  it  was  hard,  heavy,  kn 

1.     1   attempted   !  at   fifteen  minul  I  with  me  then, 

t->  take  notes,  but  at  the  end  of  that  time  I   threw  pen  and  paper  to  tin  I 

only  in  the  inspiration  of  the  hour,     [f  Mr.  Lincoln  •  I   four  inch*  usu- 

ally, at  Bloomington  be  was  seven  feet,  and  inspired  at  that     From  tha  the  day 

of  his  death  he  stood  firm  on   the  right.     11--   fell    hie  jb,  had    hie  great 

d  it.  k-  pi  it.  taught  it  to  others,  and  in  his  fidelity  bore  witi  it  to  bis  death, 

.  finally  scaled  it  with  his  precious  bio 
It  is  univen  Imitted  thai  this  ech  was  the  m  ing  Mr. 

•In  iiitu  the  prominent  •  icupied,  and  which  resulted  in  1. 

tion  to  the  Presidency. 

This  Convention  thoroughly  organised  the  Republican    part)  of  lllm  lis,  and,  from 
-ult-.  I.  in--  a  landmark  in  the  historj  of  Bloomington — aim  el  as  pr  mineni 

as  it'  it  had  been,  as  mans  Beeni   t->  Buppose,  the  first    movement   of  the  kind  in  the 
VY< 

ipitulate — we  find  thai    :        mber  9,  1854,  the  first    Republican   County 
C->n  McLean  Count)  was  held  at  the  Court    Bouse;  on  the  13th  of  i 

5 1,  there  waa  ■  n  m  irkable  convention  of  R<  publicans  of  1 1 »     (  dis- 

trict  at  M  Hall,   while  on   the  29th  of  May,  1856,  thi  Republican  is 

tion,  l-iii  really  the  first  in  imp  in    Ni         -    Hall,  r<  sultiug 

in  the  )  <-!   tli- 

d  of  Hon.  Owen  L  '  I  ' !      'Boll 

13  th  is  chapter .      J 

\  .  .it  ii-- nun  • 

1  ation  a  is,  in    1 

11 


x 


114 

Republican  gathering,  though  the  name  of  the  new  party  was  at  this  time  used  rather 
sparingly.  Its  candidates  were  Owen  Lovejoy,  Leonard  Swett,  of  this  city,  and  Hon. 
Jesse  O.  Norton,  then  our  Representative  in  Congress.  Mr.  Lovejoy  was  the  nominee 
of  the  Convention.  His  nomination  was  exceedingly  distasteful  to  the  more  conserva- 
tive old  Whig  element,  especially  in  McLean  and  the  southern  part  of  the  district. 
This  element  formed  a  considerable  portion  of  the  new  party,  then  beginning  to  crys- 
tallize. "  Abolitionist "  was  the  most  opprobrious  of  epithets  known,  and  the  Whigs 
had  received  too  many  hard  blows  from  Mr.  Lovejoy — long  known  as  an  Abolitionist — 
to  accept  him  as  their  standard-bearer.  Consequently,  a  large  number  of  the  delegates 
withdrew  from  the  Convention,  and  signed  a  call  for  a  '"bolting"  convention^  to  be  held  at 
Bloomington,  July  16.  This  call  was  signed  by  Gen.  Gridley,  Isaac  Funk,  Dr.  H. 
Noble,  John  J.  Price  and  David  Cheney,  from  this  county,  as  well  as  by  delegates  from 
several  other  counties. 

On  the  16th  of  July,  the  Convention  met  in  the  Court  House  at  Bloomington, 
Isaac  Funk  being  Chairman,  and  nominated  T.  Lyle  Dickey,  now  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  as  candidate  for  Congress.  In  the  evening,  there  was  a  mass-meeting 
at  the  west  side  of  the  Court  House,  in  the  public  square.  Churchill  Coffin,  Esq.,  of 
Peru,  opened  the  meeting  with  a  rather  heavy  speech.  He  was  followed  by  Judge 
Dickey,  in  an  argumentative  speech,  in  which  he  wholly  failed  to  arouse  the 
meeting,  although  he  roundly  denounced  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise. 
Gen.  Gridley  was  the  next  speaker,  and  he  aroused  the  enthusiasm  of  his  hearers,  for  he 
paid  his  respects  to  Mr.  Lovejoy,  the  "  Abolitionist,"  in  his  usual  vigorous  style,  and 
caused  several  interruptions  from  some  of  the  highly-excited  auditors.  At  the  conclu- 
sion of  this  speech,  Mr.  Lovejoy  was  called  for,  and,  in  response,  took  the  stand.  He 
had  spent  his  life  in  the  advocacy  of  an  unpopular  cause,  many  times  speaking  before 
unfriendly  and  hostile  audiences.  This  gathering  had  been  collected  by  his  enemies, 
and  to  hear  himself  denounced.  He  had  been  declared  an  enemy  to  his  country,  and  a 
man  wholly  unfit  to  be  voted  for  by  the  members  of  the  new  party.  He  quickly 
proved  himself  an  unrivaled  public  speaker,  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  he  had  the  audi- 
ence completely  with  him.  He  showed  his  hearers  that,  even  if  he  had  been  an 
Abolitionist,  he  was  entirely  in  sympathy  with  the  newly-awakened  Northern  conscience 
which  had  now  organized  the  new  Republican  party.  He  stated  his  position  upon  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Law,  and  asserted  that  every  man  of  his  audience  regarded  the  law  in 
the  same  light.  His  speech  was  a  masterly  effort — the  greatest  of  his  life — and  had  an 
electric  effect  upon  the  immense  assembly.  Since  then,  Bloomingtou  audiences  have 
heard  Lincoln,  Douglas,  Corwin  and  Blaine,  but  never  as  effective  a  speech  as  that  of 
Mr.  Lovejoy  that  night.  It  was  full  of  wit,  declamation  and  pathos,  and  was  as 
eloquent  a  speech  as  ever  was  listened  to  by  our  citizens.  It  killed  the  "  bolting  "  convention, 
which  was  never  heard  of  afterward.  Nearly  all  who  participated  in  it  became  ardent 
supporters  of  Mr.  Lovejoy,  and  developed  at  once  into  the  best  of  Republicans,  and 
many  of  them  were  ever  afterward  Mr.  L.'s  earnest  personal  friends.  To  his  great 
success  at  this  meeting,  thereby  placing  the  Republicans  on  an  advanced  ground,  is 
largely  due  the  Republican  majority  in  McLean  County  in  later  years,  although  the 
magnetism  and  popularity  of  Mr.  Lincoln  no  doubt  contributed  toward  bringing  about 
the  same  result. 


115 


NORM  \l.   TOW  NSHIP 

ELM  \i     i  m\  CR81  1  ^  . 

The  location  of  th<   -         N  rmal  Qoivereit]       N     <l>  Blooroiogton  Ma)  7.  1857 
tn:irk             »1  of  history  thai  i-  n<>t  only  important  to  Normal  Township,  bul  also  in 
to  the  city  of  Bloomington  and    M   I.  in  Count]       kt  the  time   indi 
I    Normal  a      Norl     '•'•         ogton,  or  " The  Junction,"  the  lis  d  now 

called  Normal,  do!  having  be<  n  named  until  after  the  location  of  the  Dnivereil 
ezisl                  town  dating  from   April  •'..   1858      The  early  history  of  the   Normal 
tution,  its  location,  its  firsl  yean  of  straggling  effort, its  rigoroni  ohildfa I   belong 


ilAI.      I    M 


to  B     aoingl  a  and  this  sketch  i-  calculated   to  honor  thai   city  as  it  is  \ 

■  lit  upon  Normal.      \  -   ••    pi    eed  with  our  account,  we  shall  reach  a  p       I 
when  the  newly-built  vi  Jity  N  irmal,  with  s  definite  future  and  t 

own,  after  whioh  timi  tsand  doings  shall  be  credited  to  the  proper 

»"ur  alously  ss  il  hrii  nda  ire 

•mit  any  particular  mention  of  the 
first  settlers  in   Normal  Township,  and  insert   that  information   in  another  chapter  by 

We  migl  thai  in  1857,  the  cupied  by  farn 

the  vi  having  b  en  platted  and  :i  few  houses  built,  bat  t"  ;ill 

tical  intents,  the  entire  township  was  simply  an  agricultural  district. 

Illinois  Central  an     I  \    Mton   Railroads  were  6 nisi  I  in  run 

ion  of  tin'  I  'in  .  n  train  having  I 


116 

run  on  the  4th  day  of  July,  1854,  from  Bloomington  to  Lexington.  The  cars  of  the 
Illiuois  Central  passed  this  point  without  stopping,  from  May  23,  1853,  to  the  time  of 
the  completion  of  the  other  line.  It  was  thought  in  1852  that  there  would  be  a  rail- 
road crossing  near  this  place,  and  after  the  definite  location  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  line 
through  the  western  part  of  Bloomington  in  1853,  the  point  for  the  junction  was  fixed. 
North  Bloomington  was  projected  and  platted  in  the  early  part  of  1854.  There  was  a  sale 
of  lots  on  the  15th  of  June,  1851,  at  which  about  thirty  lots  sold  at  prices  ranging 
between  $30  and  $50,  and  public  attention  was  thus  attracted  to  the  new  town  of  North 
Bloomington.  The  sale  took  place  under  the  auspices  of  W.  F.  M.  Amy  &  Co.,  but  it 
was  understood  that  Mr.  Jesse  W.  Fell  was  the  moving  spirit  in  the  new  enterprise. 

In  1855,  a  large  addition  was  made  to  North  Bloomiugton  by  a  company  composed 
of  Jesse  W.  Fell,  B.  B.  Landon.  L.  B.  Case,  C.  W.  Holder  and  L.  C.  Blakesly.  The 
place  had  all  the  prospects  common  to  a  railroad  "crossing"  or  "junction,"  which  were 
never  very  brilliant,  when  it  is  considered  that  the  important  town  of  Bloomington, 
with  two  depots,  was  only  two  miles  away.  Here,  at  the  point  of  greatest  natural 
beauty,  Mr.  Jesse  W.  Fell  commenced,  in  1855,  his  family  residence,  and  finished  it 
the  next  year,  when  he  made  it  his  permanent  home. 

In  the  enterprise  of  building  a  new  town  at  the  "Junction,"  he  had  taken  into 
partnership,  about  this  time,  the  several  gentlemen  whose  names  we  have  given;  and  in 
the  course  of  a  few  years  thereafter,  acquired  from  them  nearly  the  whole  of  their 
interests  in  the  town  site. 

Mr.  Fell,  from  the  first,  had  plans  for  bringing  to  North  Bloomington  something- 
more  than  the  ordinary  business  of  a  common  railroad  crossing.  He  intended  to  spare 
no  effort  to  build  here  a  town  that  should  have  for  its  characteristics,  sobriety,  morality, 
good  society,  and  all  the  elements  for  an  educational  center.  Previous  to  the  passage 
of  the  act  to  establish  a  Normal  University,  which  dates  from  February  18,  1857, 
Mr.  Fell  was  laboring  with  some  prospects  of  success,  to  establish  at  North  Blooming- 
ton a  college  or  seminary  of  learning,  and  was  in  correspondence  with  Hon.  Horace 
Mann  and  others  in  regard  to  the  matter.  Had  he  succeeded,  the  institution  was  to 
have  been  located  upon  Seminary  Block,  shown  on  the  plat  of  North  Bloomington,  as 
the  block  next  east  of  Mr.  Fell's  residence.  This  particular  piece  of  ground  at  that 
time,  before  the  trees  and  shrubbery  had  made  their  appearance,  commanded  a  fine 
view  of  all  the  land  in  the  neighborhood,  being  a  part  of  that  beautifully-rounded, 
elevated  prairie  upon  which  Mr.  Fell  built  his  family  residence.  In  fact,  the  whole 
tract  was  one  of  striking  beauty,  long  before  North  Bloomington  was  projected,  in 
the  days  when,  for  more  than  a  mile  in  either  direction,  not  a  house  or  improvement 
of  any  kind  was  visible.  As  long  ago  as  in  1833,  when  on  his  way  to  what  is  now  the 
township  of  Money  Creek,  in  company  with  Mr.  Kimler,  one  of  the  early  Settlers  of 
Bloomin0-  Grove,  Mr.  Fell  rode  over  the  beautiful  elevation  which  his  residence  uow 
occupies.  The  public  highway  then  passed  in  that  vicinity.  It  was  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  as  they  surveyed  the  beautiful  prairie  landscape,  Mr.  Fell  remarked,  what  a 
fine  location  this  would  be,  at  some  day,  for  a  residence.  His  companion  replied,  that 
it  was  not  probable  any  one  would  ever  be  fool  enough  to  build  at  such  a  great  distance 
from  the  timber,  echoing  thereby  the  common  sentiment  of  the  early  settlers.  Over 
twenty  years  after,  Mr.  Fell  built  his  family  residence  at  that  point,  and  com. 
menced  to  plant  trees,  which  in  a  little  more  than  another  twenty  years,  have  made 


Ill 

nt   tl  i r i ■  •  r i   the  m  r  pari  and  in  Central  Illi 

ind  fa  the  prairie  lai  ioto  •  b<  autiful  vi 

•  \   in  u  land  it  idorning  the  whole      We  question   it  the 

iv  of  niir  rapidly  growing  3  in  furnish  ■  parallel,  i  town  built  entirely  on  ths 

prairie,  and,  in  e  <>t"  time,  to  be  covered  with  nn  r.- I  ir_'.    tn 

ihown  in  most  cities  of  oldei  !■  they  were  l>uilt   on   land  originally 

. -  i •  -•  1   by  those  grand   1 1 1 •  •  t j  F  the  foreel   which   the  early  settlers  delighted  in 

issihlo. 

Mi    I     1 1     k  i  remarkable  Btep  toward  bringing  t..  the  new  town  a  desirable 
of  residents,  bj   providing  in  :«.  1 1  deeds  t"  purchasers  of  lots  in  V  rth  Bloomington,  thai 
intoxicating  liquors  should  never  be  sold  on  1 1  ■  •  -  premises;  arid  tlii'  stringent  prohibition 

ift<  rward  r.  I  iwn  charter,  which  was  intended  t"  !><•  i  ntirely  prohibil 

This  charter  needed  amendments,  however,  in  1867,  to  make  it  as  fully  operative  as  the 
inhabitants  desired,  and  a  petition  was  circulated  asking  the  Legislatui  to  make  such 
chanj  hould   perpetually    restrain  the   town  or  eity  authorities  from  ever  licensing 

the  sale  ol  intoxicating  liqui  re      h  is  a  remarkable  fact  thai  this  petition  ws  I  by 

in  hi  ami  woman,  and  everj  child  over  sev<  d  old,  in  ■  town  which  th<  n  con- 

tained 1  B(M)  inhabitants  This  incident,  though  rather  out  of  the  proper  historii  al  order,  is 
ralnabli  thus  discover  that  the  foundations  for  the  gathei  ther   of  a  very 

superior  class  of  citizens,  were  earlj  laid  broad  and  deep,  and  thi  quenl  oharacter 

of  Normal  can  I"-  traced  quite  plainly  t"  those  early  efforts.  North  Bloomington,  in 
1X57,  was  barely  started  -rarely  known — called  indiscriminately  by  its  proper  name, 
or  the  ■  Junction  ;  "  s  town  site  without  a  town,  and  with  no  special  i  for  its  exist- 

ence     'I'li-i  as  inhabitant  previous  to  1855;  this  a  is  Mr   McCambridge,  wl 

a  at  the  cr  f  the  railroads,  where,  as  agent,  he  attended   t->  all  tin- 

interests  of  the  r^iilr- ^n  1  lint  -  tig  at  that  point.   Mr.  Pell  red  into  bis  residence  in 

1856,  and,  during  thai  year  the  new  town  was  augmented  by  the  arrival  of  L   R    I 
and  family,  and  a  few  others,  but  no  great  growth  tn.,k  place  till  after  the  events  of  the 

l  357 

Por  the  information  of  some  <>t  our  younger  readers,  we  will  state  thai  from  1848 
t"  1856.  the  subject  of  free  schools  received  a  large  share  ol  attention  in  1 1 1  i  r  n  ■  i  ~ .  Settlers 
tr"iii  -  where  tl  re  well  established,  were  rapidly  pouring  in,  and  tlnir 

influei  imbined  with  the  spirit  "t"  the  times  resulted  in  a  wonderful  impulse  being 

given  to  th<  f  education.     <  me   <\'n  the  passage  of  the  act  of  tli<- 

slature  for  the  establishment  of  a  State  Normal  University,  which  passed  February 
1*    1857       Tin-  project  bad  been  warmly  advocated   for  nvei  J  by  tie-  teachers 

"I'tl.     9  ami   all    friends  of  education.      As  originally  |>a.ssr<l,  tin-  a<t  i-nritrinp 

thai  an  agricultural  or  industrial  college  Bhould  be  attach*  d,  and  we  find  thai  1 1 • » -  fri>  nds 
of  these  particul  ilties  were  among  tl  nest  laborers  for  the  new  institution. 

of  the  i  vli_\  it  was  called  a  university,  the  wa)  was  thus]  I 

for  fatui  cement     Among  the  most  earned   ind 

other   directions, we  might  mention  the  nob  IP       J    B    Pun  Jackson 

villi-  M  then  of  Ottawa,  III.,  now  of  \    w  York 

.    that  time,  1  r  in 

.ml  enterpri  Nl  •  --a.  Im- "-    \.  w    Vork  and   New  J  her 

i  norm  i  N  >ne  of  tli<-m  w<  i  t"  tin*  d<  man  1-  of 


118 

the  times.  Still,  their  success  had  been  such  as  to  warrant  the  public  in  expecting  that 
institutions  for  the  education  and  training  of  teachers  of  our  common  schools  would  aid 
the  cause  of  education  to  a  desirable  degree.  Some  of  the  ablest  friends  of  this  new 
project  for  the  proper  education  of  the  teachers  of  the  public  schools  lived  in  McLean 
County,  among  whom  we  might  mention  W.  F.  M.  Amy,  Jesse  W.  Fell,  Prof.  D.  Wil- 
kins  and  J.  H.  Wickizer,  the  latter  being  member  of  the  Legislature  from  thia 
district. 

The  public  mind  was  ripe  for  the  proper  appreciation  of  the  needs,  designs  and 
scope  of  such  a  school,  although  even  its  own  advocates  differed  somewhat  as  to  the 
course  of  study  and  plans  for  its  development. 

The  act  of  the  Legislature  provided  for  a  university,  although  what  was  established 
is  in  fact  a  normal  school.  The  intention  was  to  gather  around  the  new  institution  the 
different  colleges — classical,  agricultural,  industrial,  law,  medical,  and  the  other  depart- 
ments of  a  university — until  in  the  end  the  State  should  have  here  a  grand  university, 
equal  to  any  in  the  land.  The  full  design  has  not  been  carried  out,  but  there  are  many 
who  still  have  hopes  that  the  future  may  yet  see  its  realization. 

The  law  provided  a  Board  of  Education  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  with  power  to 
carry  into  effect  its  purposes.  This  Board  consisted  of  N.  W.  Edwards,  of  Springfield  ; 
W.  H.  Wells,  of  Chicago ;  John  R.  Eden,  Moultrie  County ;  A.  R.  Shannon,  White 
County ;  Simeon  Wright,  Lee  County ;  W.  Sloan,  Pope  County ;  George  Bunsen,  St. 
Clair  County ;  George  P.  Rex,  Pike  County ;  Charles  E.  Hovey,  Peoria ;  Daniel  Wil- 
kins,  Bloomington  ;  C.  B.  Denio,  Galena ;  F.  Mosely,  Chicago ;  S.  W.  Moulton,  Shelby 
County,  and  J.  Gillespie,  Jasper  County.  This  Board  had  full  power,  and  it  was  made 
their  duty,  "  to  fix  the  permanent  location  of  said  Normal  University  at  the  place  where 
the  most  favorable  inducements  are  offered  for  that  purpose,  provided  that  such  location 
shall  not  be  difficult  of  access,  or  detrimental  to  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  said  Nor- 
mal University." 

This  body  of  gentlemen  soon  organized,  and  it  appointed  a  committee  to  receive 
proposals  for  the  location  of  the  Normal  University,  which  committee  published  notices 
in  several  newspapers,  stating  that  the  Board  would,  on  a  certain  specified  day,  open 
at  Peoria  all  bids  that  might  be  made. 

Several  cities  and  towns  entered  into  competition  for  what  was  understood  to  be  a 
valuable  prize.  That  the  value  of  the  new  institution  was  thoroughly  appreciated  by 
the  inhabitants  of  Bloomington  is  shown  by  the  following  extract  from  the  Bloomington 
Pantograph  of  April  8,  1857,  then  edited  by  E.  J.  Lewis: 

The  advantages  to  be  conferred  by  such  an  institution  upon  the  place  of  its  location  are  too 
obvious  to  need  enlarging  upon.  Richly  endowed  from  a  Government  fund,  collecting  within 
its  walls  every  year  the  flower  of  the  youth  of  every  part  of  the  State,  and  organized  with  a  full 
corps  of  the  ablest  instructors,  the  Normal  University  will  doubtless  take  rank  among  the  noblest 
institutions  of  learning  in  the  country,  and  give  to  the  town  which  contains  it  a  degree  of  prom- 
inence at  home  and  abroad  scarcely  second  to  that  enjoyed  by  the  State  capital  itself. 

In  the  light  of  subsequent  events,  how  prophetic  is  this  statement ! 

Mr.  Fell  and  his  co-workers  did  not  rely  on  appeals  made  through  the  public  press. 
On  the  contrary,  they  were  willing  that  the  competing  points  should  labor  under  the 
impression  that  Bloomington  was  not  thoroughly  aroused.  These  gentlemen  labored 
incessantly  with  individuals  ;  argued,  pictured,  pleaded,  taught,  both  by  precept  and 


119 

pie       l  the  fashion  1  > \   giving  libei  cripi ions,  and 

thai  th<  \  brought  the  amount  of  donations  in  land  and  money  np  u   -         (0  from  pri- 

individuala.     They  bad   previously  ■  •*  >t  .i  i  u  •  •  1  a  pledge  Prom  1 1  *  *  -  men  ilio 

County   Commission  i  j*  (     url      \.  J    Merriman,  of    B     mington,  M  - 

sanl    Hill,  ami   II    Buck,  oi    L    Ro)    «l>"  formed  the  Count)  I  lima, 

that  the)  would  appropriate   from  th<    |  iwamp-landi  funds  an  tin 

equal  to  that  bu  I  by   individuals.     This  made  the  total  offer  $100,< ,  and  it 

thought  amplj  sufficient  to  secure  the  location. 

In  order  to  be  full  of  what  Peoria— -the  principal  competitor   -waa  doing, 

one  of  the  d  live  of  our  part)  went  to  that   city,  quietly  and  rather  in  d 

dropped  into  ■  back  teal  of  a  meeting  of  the  Count)   B<  ird  held  in  aid  of  the  pr< 
mixed  with  the  crowd  in  the  and   in  various  waja  learned  almi 

ia  wss  preparing  to  offer      [ta  liberality  alarmed  bim;  he  returned  to  Bloomin 
and   aroused    his    friends  to  Btill    further   efforts.     Mr.    Pell    and    other    gentlemen 

i   their  subscriptions  until  they  reached   $2 10,  or  170,000  in    ill      The 

County  Court  v.  lily  called  together  again,  the  county's  part  increa  &20,000, 

and  when  the  final  effort  waa  completed,  at  about  the  last  day,  in  the  afternoon,  thp 
total  offer  amounted  to  $1  11,000,  made  up  of  $70,000  from  the  first  pr<  I  tin* 

:    Mi  I.  an  County's  swamp-land,  and  171,000  in  money,  lands  and  town  1  »ts  from 
individn 

But  (If  imounl  was  kept  a  profound  Becret     Mr.  Pell  and  a  very  few  others 

aware  of  the  total,  as  it  waa  highly  important  that  competing  points  should  remain 
in  ignorance  until  too  late  for  them  to  make  additional  aubscriptioi 

<  >n  tin-  Ttli  of  May,  L857,  the  State   Board  of  Education  met  at   Peoria  to  open 
the  bids  and  decide  npon  the  location.     The  first  offer  was  that  of  Batavia.     Thia  l»id 
embraced  $15,000  in   money  and  the,  land  and  buildings  of  the   Batavia   Ensi 
There  were  between  twenty   and  twenty-two  acres  of  land,  and  a  building  seventy  by 
fifty  feet,  three  stories  high,  the  whole  estimated  at  $30,000,  makii  via's  bid,  in 

effect,  $45,000.     The  citizens  pledged  themselves  to  raise  $25,000,  in  order  to  ] 
debt  of  $10,000  now  resting  on  the  buildings,  and  to  give  the  ram  of  $15,000  for  the 
Normal  I  Diversity  direct.     There  were  several  propositions  from  Bloomingt 

i      The  tract  nf  L60  acres  at  the  junction  was  Lhe  favorite,  and  the  particu 
Ian  of  that  proposition  w< 

Qai  .  ;ii  subscription $  i  3* 

Local  for  Junction  site '2 

j:. 

88,000 

McLean  County  subscription 70, i 

|]  11,726. 

There  were  offered   also,  b)    K     II    Pell,  thirty  ol  Sugar  I  | 

-J  ■  i « 1  _ -    I1  near  lii>  residence;  by  William  Plagg,  ten  acres,  on  the  oorth 

hill  above  the  « - i i y  ;    by  Thomas,    Foung  &   S<  irs,  forty  acres  northeast  of  town;  I>_t 
K    II    Pell  and  John   Nicolls,  eighty  acres,  two  and  a  half  miles  east  of  thi 
<>f    these  "ii  condition   the   University   be   located  upon  them       By    1 1 » •  -   oil 

1  iid    tli.-    Tru-iri->    ni'    ih.      W  i.shington     Academy 
>  in  cash,  and  the    lot    130  b)  120  feet,  with  brick  build        1 1 


120 

by  62  feet,  and   three  stories  high,  of  said    Academy,  in  said   town  ;    real   estate   at 
$20,000,  making  the  bid  $21,000.     Peoria  offered,  in  money  : 

Individual  subscription $25,032. 

City  Corporation 10,000. 

County  Board  of  Supervisors 15,000. 

There  were  several  offers  of  land  for  sites.  Phelps,  Conklin  &  Brady  offered  15 
acres,  of  which  appraisements  were  unsettled,  the  first  rating  it  at  $18,000,  the  second 
at  $30,000  ;  the  twenty-acre  site  was  valued  at  $20,000  ;  120  acres  two  miles  from  the 
Court  House,  at  $18,000  ;  200  acres  three  and  a  half  miles  from  the  Court  House,  at- 
$20,000,  and  there  were  two  minor  offers.  Taking  the  highset  valuation  of  the  princi- 
pal site,  the  total  bid  of  Peoria  was  $80,032. 

The  bid  of  McLean  County  was  so  far  ahead  of  Peoria,  the  next  competitor,  that 
the  Board  of  Education  located  the  Normal  University  in  accordance  with  the  condi- 
tions of  the  subscription,  on  the  160  acres  of  fine  rolling  land  within  three-quarters  of 
a  mile  from  the  junction  of  the  Illinois  Central  and  Chicago  &  Alton  Bailroads. 

Great  must  have  been  the  rejoicing  at  Bloomington  on  receipt  of  the  glad  news  of 
success,  after  a  contest  of  such  intensity ;  but  we,  who  look  back  over  twenty  years,  can 
scarcely  imagine  the  interest  of  the  occasion. 

The  Board  of  Education  made  the  location  upon  the  condition  that  the  full  amount 
of  the  McLean  County  subscription  of  $70,000  should  be  legally  guaranteed  within 
sixty  days,  in  default  of  which,  the  location  was  to  be  made  at  Peoria.  They  employed 
Abraham  Lincoln  to  draw  up  a  form  of  bond  or  guaranty  to  be  signed  by  responsible 
citizens  of  Bloomington.  This  guaranty  is  a  matter  of  such  historical  interest  that  we 
produce  it  entire,  with  the  list  of  guarantors,  prefacing  this  with  the  remark  that  this 
bond  was  thought  to  be  necessary  on  account  of  the  danger  that  a  future  County  Court- 
might  reconsider  the  appropriation,  and  the  further  doubt  whether  the  swamp-lands 
would  be  sold  for  cash  soon  enough  to  meet  contracts  for  the  building  about  to  be 
erected. 

GUARANTY. 

Whereas,  on  the  15th  day  of  May,  1857,  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion of  the  State  of  Illinois  passed  a  resolution  in  the  words  and  figures  following,  to  wit : 

"  Resolved,  That  we  require  of  the  citizens  of  Bloomington  a  guaranty  that  the  sum  of 
$  14.000  be  paid  on  the  1st  day  of  August  next,  and  the  further  sum  of  $14,000  on  the  1st  day  of 
November  next,  and  the  further  sum  of  $14,000  on  the  1st  day  of  February  next,  and  the  further 
sum  of  $14,000  on  the  1st  day  of  May  next,  and  the  remaining  sum  of  $14,000  on  the  1st  day  of 
August,  1858,  if  called  for  by  the  Board,  to  enable  them  to  erect  the  building  of  the  Normal 
University,  on  the  McLean  County  subscription." 

Now,  therefore,  we,  the  undersigned,  in  consideration  that  the  said  McLean  County  subscrip- 
tion be  accepted  by  said  Board  of  Education,  and  the  said  Normal  University  be  located  at  the 
place  and  in  accordance  with  the  conditions  indicated  in  and  by  said  McLean  County  subscrip- 
tion, do  hereby  guarantee,  each,  to  the  extent  of  the  sum  set  opposite  his  name,  and  no  further> 
the  payment  to  said  Board  of  Education  the  several  sums  specified  in  said  resolution,  and  to  be 
made  at  the  times  therein  required.  And  in  case  of  any  actual  default,  we  are  to  share  with 
each  other,  pro  rata,  according  to  the  several  sums  set  opposite  our  names. 

May  15,  1857. 


K.  H    Fell $5,000 

Jesse  W.  Fell 5,000 

J.  E.  McClun 5,000 

A.  B.  Shaffer 5,000 

A.  Gridley 5,000 


George  Bruener $1,000 

R.  R.  Landon 5,000 

R.  Leach 500 

W.  McCullough 3,000 

H.  Rounds 5,000 


121 


■    Park 55.000  II   .1    I  

.1    11  :  "<  "  /.    1  .  

\    .1    Merriman     1,000  John  M 

Jc.llll  1<HM.  |. 

W  I  '.'HI  Jl  

\    u  2, \    W    M  wre  

B    1:     1.  1        500  <>    Ellsworth 

R      I      -  <«'  I.      Inn. 11 




•    u  >    ei  2, /  v  11 

.1.  II    1:  d    I     Kenyoi  - 

William  F.  Plagg Brier 

Orerman  1.000    \    Johnstone 

William]  1.000    1:    Thorn]  Co 1,000 

I'    l»    Haggard  I.'nmi 

•  •11  Young ' 

W.  1     1  .  

C   Baker 


I     w    Lander 

John  l  

Iph 1,000 


.  I'ayne Slening 1.<hm» 

M    Pike... I. E.  H.  Rood       1,000 

-    B    Hanoe I John  J.  Prioe 

I     W    Holder 2,000   Joseph  Ludington I 

B    P    M  rehouse 1,000   0.   Rugg 1,000 

I.I \    B.  Heafei 

Charles  Roadnighl Ki  iher 

ii    I-'..      8,000   s,  Galagher 

William  W.  Orme 5,000    Birch  8   Brothers 1,000 

w    n     task  &  Company ■    00    1                     2,000 


m   I     M  yor 

1>.  L  Crist..... 2  000 

Thei 

Btipp 

u    11    Temple 

8,01  0 

James   Bronson 


\|    Philips l.'x»u 

I     Humphreys 1,000 

Wakefield.... i 

.   u  rati 

J,  Warner 

v  Ward 5 

Hartn 


Bdward  D    Ben  imin 1,000  James  L   Rice 1  .<*><» 

I  n    Bakewell. 6,000    W     P.  Withers 1,000 

It    H.  8ehroeder 1,000   .1 Adams 1.000 

II  M.  I  

I  _ii  ii  .mi  \  was  never  enforced,  as  il  was  found  thai  sod f  the  lands  \^r.- 

sold  for  cash,  others  on  credit  and  the  proceeds  used  in  tin-  building,  and  it  : » i ~ « »  hap- 

-  no  trouble  abonl  the  county  appropriation,  as  it  was  1 firmed  bj  the 

rt  in  tli--  -j.riiiu  of  1858      This  nen  court  consisted  of  a  I  s  ■  •:»  r- 1  of  Supervi 
tip-  •-•  >n Mt v  having  adopted  township  organization  al  1 1 1 . -  fall  election  in   1857       This 
inty,  however,  was  made  in  ur- •< »■  1  faith,  was  of  -_r r«-:i t  value  al  the  time,  and  is  one 
the  important  steps  taken  to  secure  the  Normal   Dnn 
(t  will  also  be  interesting   to  read  the   lisl  of  subscribers,  which  we  The 

following  1-  a  li-t  of  subscriptions  thai  were  nearly  all  given  with  the  single  cooditioa 
that  the  institution  >h< >ul<l  !»•  located  al   some  poinl  within  one  mil"'  of  tl  rat«- 

liuiius  of  BloomingtOD 

•  W.  Pell,  i  it  irelre  months 

mywhei  •  hi. 

ui'l  1  welve  monl  I 
lonlhs. 
William  W.  On  .  ■■  months. 

1    w  i-  i  •  ihf  t>iii    : 

K.  II.  f  re  in  nit 

Pari 

■ 
R.  II.  La  oaths 


122 

George  Dietrich,  $50,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 
Leonard  Swett,  $100,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 
W.  Thomas,  $100,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 
A.  &  0.  Barnard,  $100,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 
J.  E.  McClun,  $-300,  in  real  estate  at  cash  prices. 
Isaac  Mitchell,  $-30,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 
William  E.  Foote,  $100,  pavable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 
James  P.  Keen,  $100,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 
S.  B.  Hance,  $100,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 
Hance  &  Taylor,  $100,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 
•Corydon  Weed,  $100,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 
John  R.  Smith,  $50,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 
R.  Y.  Stockton,  $50,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 
O.  Ellsworth,  $100,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 
Lewis  Bunn,  $100,  payable  in  eight  and  twelve  months. 

E.  Thorp,  Smith  &  Co.,  $100,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 
John  Magoun,  $100,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 

C.  P.  Merriman,  $50,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  months. 

F.  K.  Phoenix,  $100,  payable  in  one  and  two  years. 
F.  Price,  $100,  payable  in  one  and  two  years. 

E.  Thomas,  $200,  payable  in  one  and  two  years. 
Denton  Young,  $100,  payable  in  one  and  two  years. 
W.  W.  Taylor,  $200,  payable  in  one  and  two  years. 
K.  P.  Taylor,  $150,  payable  in  one  and  two  years 

K.  H.  Fell,  $100,  payable  in  good  notes,  to  be  made  payable  in  one  and  two  years  from  the 
1st  of  June  next,  provided  the  said  institution  is  located  within  two  miles  of  the  corporate  limits 
■of  the  city  of  Bloomington. 

Jesse  W.  Fell,  $500,  payable  by  the  conveyance  of  100  acres  of  land,  of  average  value, 
in  Range  4  west,  of  Jackson  County,  111.,  on  completion  of  building. 

The  list  which  follows  is  made  up  principally  of  those  who  limited  their  subscrip- 
tion to  a  location  within  three-fourths  of  a  mile  of  the  junction  of  the  Illinois  Central 
and  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroads.  These  individuals  owned  land  in  North  Bloom- 
ington, or  adjoining,  or  near  by,  and  hence  had,  most  of  them,  a  direct  interest  in  the 
location.  Several  of  these  made  smaller  unconditional  subscriptions.  C.  W.  Holder, 
for  instance,  would  give  $200,  wherever  the  institution  might  be  located,  and  $800 
more  provided  North  Bloomington  were  the  fortunate  point.  The  most  of  this,  with 
that  in  the  preceding  list,  was  limited,  practically,  to  the  site  which  was  chosen,  it  being 
within  one  mile  of  the  corporate  limits  of  Bloomington,  and  also  within  three-fourths  of 
a.  mile  of  the  crossing  of  the  two  railroads  : 

Jesse  W.  Fell,  $2,000  (including  a  subscription  of  $500  already  madel,  payable  in  one,  two, 
three,  four  and  five  years  :  Provided,  not  less  than  $10,000  more  can  be  added  to  this  subscription, 
and  not  less  than  eighty  acres  of  land  ;  the  first  $500  to  be  expended  in  making  a  good  side  or 
foot  walk  to  the  Junction  from  University. 

Swett  &  Orme,  $1,500  (including  a  subscription  of  $200  already  made),  payable  in  one  and 
two  years  :  Provided,  not  less  than  $10,000  more  can  be  had  to  this  subscription,  and  not  less 
than  eighty  acres  of  land. 

C.  W.  Holder,  $1,000  (including  a  subscription  of  $200  already  made),  payable  in  one  and 
two  years  :  Provided,  not  less  than  $10,000  more  can  be  had  to  this  subscription,  and  not  less 
than  eighty  acres  of  land. 

F.  K.  Phoenix,  $1,500  (including  a  subscription  of  $100  already  made),  payable  one-half 
in  nursery  stock  or  ornamental  planting  on  said  site,  and  the  balance  in  one  and  two  years. 


12 

B    B    London,  |1  inclu 

I     Pi  f  f  1«hi 

m 
R  ■ 

A     > .  •  f 

lan-1  i  in  N'T'  ind  in  M  Kb. 

m,  £  7< k »    inoludi  d 

Ham  Hill,  £400 
II,  Coin 
within  •  land  in  V>rtli  Bloomington. 

I»    KV11,  •  .         ■■  in   one 

wiili!  h  end  of  iny  home  flurn 

m  1 1 1  _v  option. 

0    I    !•'■■  ■■•  ■-    Ji      •  yable  in  one  and 

Bliliu  1  mi  i  wo  ye  in 

William  II  -  includin  i  ibe  I  . 

m. I  two  yean 

Tl in-  Jon      •  in  one  an  I  •   by  the 

within  one  •  land  in  the  northwest  oorneT  of  my  farm,  at  my  opti 

til  two  yean  :   ) 
to  the  northeast  quarter  "t"  Section  22,  Township  -I  north    R 
\\  .  \\     I  .  -  j  idle  in  one  and  its,  including  ription  alreadj 

K    I'    Paylor,  B500,  payable  in  one  and  two  years,  inoluding 
of  |160. 

i    B   Walkc  payable  in  one  and  I  looaied  on  the  Ann  proper! 

rman  .v  Mum.  (1,200,  payable  in  one,  two  and  ilir>>.  ry  -t..rk, 

imental  planting,  firs!   and   second  ye  1  balani  nd  and  third 

yen- 

l.    I  -  le  in  "ii"1  and   t«  in  cash,  or  disco  •■  within 

by  tl  and  in  North  Bloomington,  and  ■  (joining  on  tin-  norl 

iption 
K    II.  Fell,  |  be  doe  in  th  n  from  the  l-i  of  June  a< 

iblein  one  and  ti  from  the  Is)  "t"  June  next. 

u     II .  Aliin,  11,100  ipletion  of  the  building,  by  the  oonTi  I  ihr 

following  lots      i  1  :   Lot  "..  B1ook2;   Lot  1  I,  I  14  and  l       B 

sad  Lot  9,  Block  24     dl  ol   Western  Addition  I  ton 

William  1  m  the  completion  "f  the  building 

N       0n<      I  ' '      I      ■  •        i    '.        I  taining  fort] 

(160,  payable  in  .  equal  installments 

'■'•    I  le,  "ii   ili«-  oompli  the  1  rity  Building,  by  the 

teyanre  of  1,4  I 

the  Third   Principal  Meridian,  and  to  1 f 

• 
The  Ik-  v  t  |j  -:lv  made  of  those  who  subscribed  on  oondition  thai  the  inetito- 

ri'Mi  should  b  nae  point  within  three  miles  of  tli>-  ite  limits  of  Bloom- 

•  .ii 
Dielric  ible  in  nine  months  ind 

P  ii    i  &  bid  ike,  $1<^  n  nine  months  sad  balaai  n. 

B   r   m  i»lf  pay  i  i  meat] 


124 

D.  L.  Crist,  $100,  within  one  mile  of  Bloomington,  one-half  in  six  months,  balance  in 
twelve  months,  and  §100  more  if  located  within  one-half  mile  of  Junction. 

A.  C.  Washburn,  $50. 

Harwood  &  Rugg,  §200,  one-half  payable  in  nine  months  and  balance  in  fifteen,  if  located 
one-half  mile  from  Junction. 

John  Denman,  §100,  on  condition  that  said  school  is  located  within  one  and  one-half  miles 
of  Bloomington. 

E.  K.  Crothers,  $50,  one-half  in  nine  months  and  balance  in  one  year. 
R.  E.  Woodson,  $50,  one-half  in  six  months  and  balance  in  one  year. 

Thomas  Carlile,  §200,  one-half  in  six  months  and  balance  in  twelve  months  if  located 
"within  one  mile  of  the  corporate  limits. 
C.  Weed,  §500. 

Samuel  Watson,  §200,  in  one  and  two  years. 
O' Donald  &  Warner,  §300,  in  one  and  two  years. 
C.  W.  Lander,  §50. 
E.  Barber  &  Co.,  §50. 
R.  B.  Harris,  §25. 
A.  Steel,  §25. 

E.  Martin,  §100,  in  one  and  two  years. 
T.  J.  Karr,  §25. 

C.  Wakefield,  §50,  in  one  and  two  years. 
Giles  A.  Smith  &  Graham,  $50,  in  one  and  two  years. 
Samuel  Colvin,  §25. 

John  McMillan,  §25,  in  one  and  two  years. 
A.  J.  Nason,  §25,  in  one  and  two  years. 
J.  Bronson,  §25,  in  one  and  two  years. 
A.  Sutton,  §25,  in  one  and  two  years. 
J.  W.  Lichenthaler,  $25,  in  one  and  two  years. 
J.  B.  Crouch,  §25,  in  one  and  two  years. 
K.  Thompson,  §25,  in  one  and  two  years. 
J.  W.  Moore,  §50,  in  one  and  two  years. 
Orin  Small,  §100,  in  one  and  two  years. 
James  Grover,  §100,  in  four  yearly  payments. 
E.  M.  Phillips,  §100,  in  four  yearly  payments. 

The  subscriptions  in  this  last  list,  as  well  as  those  in  the  first  and  second  classes, 
were,  by  the  terms  of  their  subscription,  included  among  the  donations  to  the  Normal 
University. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  we  find  that  Joseph  Payne  and  Meshack  Pike  donated 
the  site  where  the  institution  was  located,  consisting  of  about  sixty  acres,  with  enough 
more  on  the  west  to  make  their  gift  about  eighty  acres,  the  whole  valued  at  about 
$22,000.  Mr.  E.  W.  Bakewell  and  Judge  David  Davis,  each  gave  forty  acres,  valued, 
altogether,  at  $16,000.  The  whole  of  the  last-mentioned  eighty  acres,  and  some  of  the 
other,  is  west  of  Main  street,  and  is  the  land  designed  to  be  used  by  the  agricultural 
department  of  the  institution. 

The  list  we  have  given  speaks  for  itself.  It  is  a  record  of  liberality,  which,  at  the 
time  it  was  made,  was  unparalleled,  and  caused  great  comment  all  over  the  country. 
We  should  not  forget  that  the  most  valuable  part  of  the  subscription  -that  which  really 
was  of  the  most  solid  importance — was  the  county  subscription.  This  was  voted  by  the 
County  Commissioners — Judge  A.  J.  Merriman,  of  Bloomington,  and  his  Associates, 
Hon.  Milton  Smith,  of  Pleasant  Hill,  and  Hon.  H.  Buck,  of  Le  Roy,  in  a  quiet, 
almost  private  session,  with  no  opportunity  to  consult  their  constituents. 


IS 

III    t  Ik-    I  •l.lli-ll    H 

|:  -  follow  ii 

\.  .1    Mori  in. in  Swamp-  Land  <  '..nun  i  McL    n  I 

•  !ounty  i Joun   in  n*  'li- 
luii 

I '    I;  i 

win.  ii-.  up  'ii   which  bi  'i  the  i 

\  -  ■  I 

g  -  i  iioo  !.  The  : 

a  I,  :  urjj    iud  T.  H.  S  •  the  sum  ■  >!   - 

tub«  r  1 .  1  -">-       Tli'     ool  i  "  as  laid  fc  I  357.     1 >:, 

i'  impn  II    .1     I  Jddj  ,  of  th 

Church  yer.      Prof     I'    Wilkin-   read  :i  letter  fi 

M  :i    appropriate  to  the  occasion.     W.  II.    Powell    State  S 

i  in  thi  chool  laws  ami  of  i 

. 
Mr.  Jem    VV    I'    'i  posited  a  list  of  all   1 1 » « -  contributors  to  the  the 

i.il.  and  hoped  t"  Bee  the  institution  develop  in'"  a  complex    3         I  with 

i  model  farm  and  agricultural  colli 

I'r    lv    I!    Roe,  thi    editor  of  the  lUinou   /•'  ipt  1  all  the    III nil 

re  "I' th<-  urn.-,  ami  mail.-  a  very  appropriate  b.     Judge    \    J.  Merriman,  of 

County  ( ''iiirt.  placed  tin-  upper  Btooe  in  position  when  the  ceremony 

imount  of  work  bad  been  done  upon  the  Btone  foun- 
dation of  the  lower  story,  and  about  $30,000  was  expend    •  the  work  was  bus 

.   I'm!    tin-  winter  -•  a-  .11 

The  financial  crisis  of  1857,  which  commenced   in   the  month  of  September, 
the  means  ol  ng  a  discontinuance  of  the  work  on  the  building.     The  county  lands 

•■<iulJ  n.  ish  .  many  ol  tin-  subscribers  were  crip]  I  it  was  thought 

by  tin-  State  I  it  a  feu   years,  till  money  matters  might   !•■  isier, 

ami  hence  tin-  buildings  w<  re  not  fully  completed  until  the  '-^rlv  part  of  1861.     l»nrin^ 

'  an  1  1800,  work  was  pushed  with  Bufficii  nt  vi_>..r  to  Bee  tin-  building  iuelused  in  the 

winter  of  1859,  and  far  enough  advanced  bo  that   the  gradoatin  tin-  first 

-  were  held  at  tin-  new  building  in  June,  1860. 

Tempoi  mi  had  been  secured  by  tin-  Stat.   Board  at  Major's  Hall,  in  HI. ...in 

ii.  where,  on  tin-  "»tli  day  of  October,  1857,  Charles  K    II  Principal,  and   Ira 

M  stant,  opened   the  Normal  Scl I  with  29  pupils,  wl  1 

•  luriii-.'i!  ir  to  a   total  of  127      Major's  Hall  continued  to  until 

the  fall  term  of  I860   when  the  Normal  build i  ipied 

otire  institution  of  the  room*  ..1   nil   late  in  the 

winter,  at  which  time  tin-  Stat.-  made  an  appropriation  I     ;  rhich 

nmulated  against    the  Board        Ed  The  building  <"-t  more  than  the 

sum  '  :  upon,  at  "I   n  I   in  the 

appropri  im  I  nd   furnishing  I 

rti..n  'it    this  Its  in 

t     1861  r    other    r.  .  -» in    Im     i  In 

irere  fully  paid        I 


126 

the  building,  with  all  the  incidental  expenses,  and  the  amount  asked  for  books  and 
furniture  up  to  1863,  was  about  8200,000  ;  but  had  the  building  been  completed  near 
the  time  it  was  started,  the  total  cost  would  probably  not  have  exceeded  §100,000, 
reckoning  simply  the  cost  of  the  building.  It  should  be  stated  that  McLean  County 
honorably  met  its  subscription  according  to  its  terms,  and  that  nearly  all  the  private 
individuals  paid,  though,  as  before  stated,  the  State  Board  of  Education  did  not  enforce 
the  subscriptions  at  the  time  most  of  them  were  payable. 

The  Normal  building  is  located  about  two  miles  north  of  the  McLean  County 
Court  House,  on  an  elevated  plateau,  commanding  a  splendid  view  of  Bloomington  and 
the  surrounding  country.  At  the  time  of  its  erection,  the  adjacent  lands  were  princi- 
pally utilized  for  agricultural  purposes;  but  since  that  time,  the  beautiful  suburban  vil- 
lage of  Normal,  with  its  elegant  villas,  lovely  parks,  classic  church-spires  and  wealth  of 
flowers  and  shade-trees,  has  clustered  around  it,  making  as  fine  a  combination  of  nat- 
ural and  artificial  landscapes  as  can  be  found  in  the  entire  West. 

The  building  is  admirably  arranged  for  collegiate  use.  Its  dimensions  are  1G0  feet 
in  length  ;  the  end  wings  are  100  feet  in  width,  and  the  central  portions,  80  feet.  The 
distance  from  the  basement  to  the  extreme  height  of  the  tower  is  140  feet.  The  base- 
ment is  divided  into  apartments,  used,  respectively,  as  a  chemical  and  zoological  labora- 
tory, scientific  lecture-room  and  dissecting-rooms.  These  are  furnished  with  the  neces- 
saries for  thorough,  practical  tests  and  demonstrations  in  the  various  branches.  The  remain- 
der of  the  basement  is  occupied  by  the  janitor's  rooms  and  the  heating  apparatus,  hot 
air  and  steam  being  both  utilized.  Here,  also,  may  be  found  reels  of  hose,  connected 
with  the  reservoir,  located  near  the  roof,  which  furnish  sufficient  water-pressure  to 
extinguish  any  ordinary  outbreak  of  fire. 

The  first  floor  is  exactly  symmetrical  in  its  divisions,  the  adjacent  sides  and  oppo- 
site ends  corresponding  precisely  with  each  other  in  the  size  of  the  apartments.  The 
north  side  is  divided  into  four  recitation-rooms,  occupied  by  the  grammar  and  high 
schools.  The  corner  rooms  on  the  south  side  are  large,  convenient  dressing-rooms. 
The  primary  department  serves  as  a  training-school  for  teachers.  Here,  the  pupils  of 
the  normal  department  witness  the  theoretical,  practical  and  disciplinary  work  of  teach- 
ing, demonstrated  by  Prof.  Metcalf  and  his  assistants.  Pupils  are  required  to  take 
charge  of  primary  classes,  affording  them  an  excellent  opportunity  to  put  into  practice 
the  theories  imbibed  by  observation.  The  reception-room,  in  the  central  front,  is  a  neat 
apartment,  carpeted  with  Brussels  and  furnished  with  upholstered  chairs  and  sofas,  the 
walls  hung' with  portraits,  and,  on  one  side,  adorned  with  an  elegant  gilt-framed  mirror. 

Amending  to  the  second  floor,  we  find  the  assembly-rooms  occupying  the  entire 
width  of  the  building,  with  seats  and  desks  for  270  pupils.  The  remainder  of  this 
floor  is  divided  into  eight  recitation-rooms,  the  library  and  reading-rooms.  The  library 
contains  about  one  thousand  two  hundred  volumes  of  choice,  standard  reference-books. 
The  reading-room  contains  files  of  prominent  literary  and  news  journals. 

The  third  floor  contains  five  couipartincuts — the  museum,  Normal  Hall  and  the 
two  society-rooms,  the  latter  occupying  the  west  end  ;  they  are  30x50  feet  each,  and 
seat  250  persons.  They  are  similarly  furnished,  each  with  a  well-selected  library,  a. 
piano  and  oilier  appropriate  articles,  all  of  which  are  the  property  of  the  societies.  The 
Pliadelphian  and  Wrightoniana  hold  their  regular  literary  exercises  once  a  week.  The 
Normal  Ball  is  80  feet  square  and    20   feet  in  width,  with  a  seating   capacity  of  about 


127 

800  persons.  The  museum  occupies  the  east  end,  and  contains  a  very  valuable  collec- 
tion, of  great  interest  to  the  student  as  well  as  interesting  to  visitors,  and  is  valued  at 
nearly  $100,000. 

Charles  E.  Hovey  was  the  first  President,  from  1857  to  1861,  followed  by  Perkins 
Bass,  for  the  years  1861  and  1862.  Richard  Edwards  became  President  in  1862,  and 
filled  the  position  with  great  ability  until  1876,  when  Mr.  E.  C.  Hewitt,  who  had  been 
an  assistant  in  the  institution  from  1858/  was  selected  by  the  State  Hoard  of  Educa- 
tion, and  has  been  President  to  the  present  time. 

The  following  gentlemen  and  ladies  constitute  the  present  Normal  Faculty :  Edwin 
C.  Hewett,  LL.  D.,  President,  Professor  of  Mental  Science  and  Didactics ;  Thomas 
Metcalf,  A.  M.,  Principal  of  the  Training  Department ;  Albert  Stetson,  A.  M.,  Pro- 
fessor of  Language  and  Reading ;  John  W.  Cook,  Professor  of  Mathematics ;  Henry 
McCormick,  Professor  of  History  and  Geography ;  Stephen  A.  Forbes,  Director  of  Sci- 
entific Laboratory ;  Minor  L.  Seymour,  Professor  of  Natural  Science  ;  Lester  A.  Bur- 
rington,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Latin  aud  Greek  and  Principal  of  the  High  School ;  Mrs. 
Martha  D.  L.  Haynie,  Professor  of  Modern  Languages ;  Miss  Armada  G.  Paddock, 
First  Assistant,  Training  Department ;  Charles  DeGarmo,  Second  Assistant,  Training 
Department ;  Miss  Rosalie  Miller,  Teacher  of  Drawing ;  Miss  Bandusia  Wakefield, 
First  Assistant  Normal  School ;   Miss  Flora  Pennell,  Second  Assistant  Normal  School. 

During  the  year  ending  June,  1878,  the  number  of  students  in  the  normal  proper 
was  447  ;  and  in  the  high,  grammar  and  primary  schools  connected  with  the  institu- 
tion, there  were  235. 

Since  the  Normal  University  first  started,  nearly  four  hundred  pupils  have  taken 
the  full  three-years  course  and  graduated,  while  nearly  seven  thousand  different  students 
have  availed  themselves  of  its  advantages.  The  institution  has  done  a  creator  work 
with  those  pupils  who  have  attended  a  portion  of  the  course  than  with  the  limited  num- 
ber whose  means  enabled  them  to  avail  themselves  of  the  entire  curriculum. 

When  the  Normal  Building  was  ready  for  occupancy,  in  the  fall  of  1860,  the  vil- 
lage of  Normal  comprised  only  about  thirty  houses,  and  a  large  number  of  the  students 
resided  in  Bloomington  during  the  first  two  years;  but  by  the  fall  of  1S62,  there  were 
enough  tenements  to  accommodate  all  who  desired  board  at  Normal.  From  this  time 
forward,  the  number  of  permanent  residents  in  Normal  rapidly  increased,  and  probably 
the  year  1863  maybe  taken  as  the  time  when  the  village  had  become  in  reality,  distinct 
and  separate  from  Bloomington,  with  definite  aims  of  its  own.  Houses  went  up  on 
every  side,  retail  stores,  began  to  be  started,  and  Normal  was  a  town  of  1,000  inhab- 
itants as  early  as  1865. 

The  total  expenses  of  the  Normal  Dapartment  from  July  1,  1877,  to  February  1, 
1879,  were  $42,092,  the  whole  of  which  wero  paid  by  the  State.  The  total  receipts  from 
the  Model  Department  for  the  same  time,  $5.776 ;  expenses,  $5,635.  The  expenses  of 
running  this  school  are  met  by  the  tuiiion  fees  charged  to  the  pupils,  only  about  thirty 
of  the  smallest  being  admitted  free.  These  last  are  needed  in  order  that  the  pupils  in  the 
Normal  Department  may  acquire  experience  in  the  training  of  children.  The  Normal 
University  has  taken  a  high  rank  among  similar  institutions,  and  has  a  firm  hold  upon 
the  hearts  of  the  leading  educators  of  the  State.  Its  graduates  have  acquitted  them- 
selves with  honor,  some  of  them  having  been  chosen  to  fill  leading  positions  in  normal 
schools   in   other  States.     Its  Influence  is  felt  not  only  in  every  part  of  Illiuois,  but 


128 

throughout  the  entire  West.     It   is   an  institution  of  which   the  State  may  well  be 
proud,  and  is  an  honor  to  the  community  in  which  it  is  located. 

SOLDIERS'    ORPHANS1    SOME. 

While  our  civil  war  was  raging,  manj  plans  were  discussed  for  the  future  car 
the  disabled  Boldiers,  and  for  the  orphan  children  of  those  who  might  lose  their  lives  in 
the  countr   -  As  early  as  January  19,  1864,  there  was  a  meeting  at  the  Court 

Hone  in  II."  imington,  at  which  quite  a  number  of  citizens  and  several  officers  and  sol- 
diers who  happened  to  be  at  home  on  furlough,  were  present.  A  motion  was  offered  by 
I.  McNulta,  of  the  Ninety  fourth  Hlinois,  proposing  a  resolution  to  appoint  a  commit- 
tee to  memorialize  the  Legislature  in  regard  to  preparing  a  home  for  soldiers'  orphans. 
This  motion  w  tided  by  Lieut.  Col.  Roe,  of  the  Thirty-third  Illinois  Regiment,  and 

it  was  carried  unanimously.  Other  parties  in  different  portions  of  the  State,  about  the 
same  time,  re-echoed  the  sentiments  of  this  meeting,  and  the  movement  here  Btarted  re- 
sulted in  the  |  of  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  February  7.  1865,  without  a  dissenting 
70te,  which  is  "•  An  act  to  establish  a  home  for  children  of  deceased  soldier-.  This  law 
was  not  found  quite  operative,  and.  during  the  winter  of  1867,  it  was  further  amended. 
The  new  law  provided  for  a  Commission  to  locate  the  home,  and  for  trustees  who  Bhould 
manage  the  same.  It  appropriated  the  sum  of  $70,000  toward  erecting  :i  suitable 
building.  Gov.  ( Iglesby  added  to  this  the  sum  of  $30,000,  which  was  in  his  care,  known 
as  the  "  Deserters'  Fund.  This  money  had  been  left  in  the  hands  of  the  Governor  by 
men  who  had  enlisted  for  bounties,  and  after  enlistment  had  deserted  or  died,  and  left  no 
heirs,  and  it  seemed  best  to  appropriate  it  to  some  worthy  object.  The  citizens  id' Normal 
under  the  lead  of  M  r.  J.  --e  \V.  Fell,  organized  a  movement  in  April,  to  secure,  if  possible, 
the  location  of  the  Soldiers' Orphans' Home.  The  Commission  for  its  location  consisted 
of  Dr.  II.  C.  Johns,  of  Decatur.  Col.  W.  Niles,  of  Belleville.  Maj.  John  M.  Beardsley, 
of  Rock  Island,  Col.  J.  H.  Mayborne,  of  Geneva,  and  Col.  T.  A  Marshall,  of  Charleston. 
Roek  Island  offered  lm>  acres  of  land,  valued  at  Sill. 000;  cash.  $5,000;  total. 
$15,000.  Decatur  ottered  11  acres  of  land,  [rvington,  Washington  County,  offered 
•III  acres.  Springfield's  offer  was  I'll  acre-  of  land,  valued  at  $20,000;  cash.  $40,000; 
total.  $60,000.      The  location  offered  by  Springfield  was    not    desirable,  and  when  it  was 

compared  with  the  offer  of  Normal,  the  Commission,  on  the  3d  of  May.  lHi".  unani- 
mously voted  to  locate  the  Soldiers  Orphans'  Some  at  Normal.  As  a  matter  of  histor- 
ical reference,  we  give  the  list  of  donors  : 

1».  Davis,  80  acres,  valued  at $12, »  w.  <;.  Parr $200 

J.  W.  Fell,  -. acres,  value  1  al 10,000  S.  A.  Overman  300 

K.  II.  K.ll,  s.  E.21,  15, 1,  valued  at...  2.000  M.  D.  Seward 200 

u.  H.  Mann,  land  valued  a( 1. James  Kelley 100 

II.  P.  Taylor,  20  acres   valued  at 2.41111  Thomas  S.  Under  hill 150 

w.   \.  Pennell 1,000  B.Smith 120 

J.  s.  Walkt-r,  land  valued  at 876  C.  D.  Jamea •""" 

.V  Dixon,  V      N    E.   12,  25,  A.  valued  1,000  Joshua   Brown 150 

F.  K.  Pheeniz,  20  acres,  valued  at 2,500  Tl as  Bates 100 

O.    M.    Dolman,    payable   in    ^i\    and  <J.  Dietrioh 1,000 

eighteen  months 250  Thomas  Fell 100 

L.  A.  Hovey,  payable  in  six  and  twelve  W.  w.  Bright 125 

months 500  8   .)    Reeder 

L.  Dillon,  five  acres,  »  tied  al I1"'  J.  E    Mc  lun 600 

W.  II.  .Ml i  11 1,000  Chicago  &   Uton  Railroad  in  freights  at 

John  Worden  200             tariff  rates 10,000 

Jackson  Hulrill 200                                                                    

C.  <;.   MoClure  1,1                  Total $50,220 

J.   P..  Gaston »««> 


129 

Mr.  Jesse  W.  Fell's  offer  was  finally  made  at  $10,0u0,  nearly  all  cash,  the  balance 
in  materials,  thus  making  it  to  him  a  very  costly  donation.  Judge  Davis'  gift  of  land, 
afterward,  at  the  request  of  the  Board,  modified  to  sixty-five  acres,  could,  at  the 
time,  probably  have  been  sold  for  the  full  amount  at  which  it  was  valued  in  the  list.  As 
will  be  seen,  nearly  all  of  the  donors  were  Normal  citizens,  and  this  liberality  toward  an 
institution,  which  does  not,  from  its  nature,  call  for  the  building  of  many  residences  or 
bring  to  the  village  much  business,  is  truly  most  remarkable,  and  shows  that  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  place  appreciate  the  pecuniary  value  of  educational  institution-. 

The  Board  of  Trustees,  as  soon  as  possible,  let  the  contract  for  the  Home  building, 
and,  on  the  17th  of  June,  18G9,  it  was  dedicated  to  the  use  designed.  The  cost  of  the 
structure  is  placed  in  the  books  of  the  institution  at  $125,000.  It  is  1  10 
feet  long,  eighty  feet  wide,  and  four  stories  high.  In  the  east  end  of  the 
basement  story  are  the  girls'  playrooms,  bathroom  and  storeroom,  and  the  place 
where  the  girls'  clothing  is  manufactured.  In  the  west  end,  we  find  the  boys' 
playroom,  bathroom  and  storeroom,  while  between  the  two  departments  is  the  largo 
dining-hall.  On  the  next  floor  is  the  reception  parlor,  with  the  officers'  rooms 
in  thu  front,  while  at  the  east  end  is  the  library  and  reading-room,  which  contains  a  fine 
library  of  1,300  volumes.  In  this  end,  we  find  also  the  nursery  for  very  small  chil- 
dren. In  the  western  portion  of  this  floor  are  two  large  dormitories,  which  contain 
beds  for  about  fifty  children,  and  there  are  smaller  dormitories  and  other  rooms  for 
various  purposes.  On  the  third  floor,  we  find  the  large  chapel  in  front,  in  which  is  a 
fine  pipe  organ.  There  are  also  dormitories  on  this  floor.  On  the  upper  floor  is  one 
very  large  dormitory  in  front,  others  in  the  ends,  with  hospital  accommodations,  both 
for  boys  and  girls.  The  whole  building  is  warmed  with  steam,  is  lighted  with  gasoline 
gas  made  on  the  premises,  is  furnished  with  iron  fire-escape  ladders,  and  with  ropes  and 
all  appliances  for  fire  purposes.  In  the  rear  are  the  kitchen,  laundry  and  boiler-house, 
erected  in  1872,  at  a  cost  of  $6,000.  Here  we  find  the  most  approved  arrangements 
for  cooking  and  heating,  and  for  taking  care  of  the  children.  The  schoolhouse  stands  a  few 
rods  east  of  the  main  building,  and  was  built  in  1872  at  a  cost  of  $15,000.  It  has  six 
schoolrooms,  where  7  teachers  take  care  of  the  312  pupils  now  in  the  institution.  The 
State  may  well  be  proud  of  the  Soldiers'  Orphans'  Home.  It  is  under  the  care  of  a 
Board  of  three  Trustees,  who  are  Gem  John  I.  Rinaker,  of  Carlinville ;  Gen.  J.  C. 
Black,  of  Danville,  and  Duncan  M.  Funk,  of  Bloomington.  Dr.  J.  L.  White  is  Phy- 
sician ;  Clark  N.  Gill,  Secretary,  and  Isaac  N.  Philips,  Treasurer,  all  of  Bloomington. 
Mrs.  Virginia  C.  Ohr  is  Superintendent.  She  commenced  her  labors  in  this  institution 
June  1,  1869,  a  short  time  previous  to  the  dedication  of  the  building.  Before  this,  she 
had  been  at  Springfield  for  eighteen  months  in  charge  of  about  ninety  orphans,  who 
were  brought  to  Normal  in  June.  There  had  been  about  ninety  children  in  Blooming- 
ington  for  the  same  time  at  temporary  homes — one  on  North  Main  street,  west  of  the 
Wesleyan  University,  and  the  other  at  the  corner  of  Prairie  and  North  streets. 
The  annual  expenditures  of  the  State  in  behalf  of  soldiers'  orphans  at  this  institution 
have  been  from  $30,000  to  $45,000  per  annum.  This  noble  charity  is  but  a  small  por- 
tion of  the  country's  debt  to  the  brave  men  who  risked  their  lives  in  the  defense  of  the 
country.  It  is  accomplishing  a  groat  work,  and  is  one  of  the  State  institutions  which 
seems  to  have  little  difficulty  in  securing  appropriations. 


130 


EARLY    6ET1  LEMENT. 


The  township  of  Norma]  contains  only  one  small  tract  of  timber-land,  the  whole  of 
the  balance  being  among  the  richest  and  finest  prairie  to  be  found  in  the  State.  There 
are  do  swamps  of  any  magnitude,  and  no  la  mis.     Sugar  Creek  and  its  branches 

become  noticeable  in  times  of  high-water,  overflowing  wide  tracts  along  the  ban!, 
most  of  which,  however,  are  seldom  covered  with  water  long  enough  to  render  it  liable 
to  be  included  in  the  category  of  waste  land,  as  it   produces  abundant  crops  in  spite  of 
its  occasional  submersion.      The  timber-land  referred  to  is  at  the  extreme  southern 
edge  of  the  township  of  Normal. 

Here,  of  course,  along  the  borders  of  Little  Grove,  now  called  Major's  Grove,  we 
shall  find  the  early  settlement  of  the  town,  though  at  first  included  in  the  precinct  of 
Bloomington,  and  being  at  a  later  day,  down  to  the  present  time,  a  part  of  the  corporation 
of  Bloomington,  it  will  be  really  difficult  to  include  its  history  with  that  of  Normal. 
Still,  as  our  work  deals  with  these  matter-  territorially,  we  will  give  a  sketch  of  the 
early  settlement  of  Major's  Grove,  as  well  as  a  slight  mention  of  the  more  recent  devel- 
opment of  the  prairie  portion  of  the  township. 

The  first  entry  of  Government  land  in  the  Grove  was  made  by  Robert  II.  Peebles 
August  11,  1830.  Peebles  seems  to  have  been  the  first  genuine  land  speculator  of 
this  region,  as  his  name  appears  frequently  in  the  earlier  entries.  He  lived  at  Vandalia, 
111.,  and  loaned  money  to  the  pioneers.  His  entry  was  the  east  half  of  the  southeast 
quarter  of  Section  '■'>- — eighty  acres.  This  tract  includes  the  present  Water  Works  and 
stove-foundry.  Achilles  Deathcrage  appears  to  have  been  the  first  settler  in  the  Grove, 
about  the  year  1831.  His  residence  was  in  the  central  or  western  portion,  while,  a 
li: tie  later  in  the  same  year,  Robert  Guthrie  occupied  a  log  cabin  in  the  eastern  part, 
and  lived  there  for  some  time. 

Most  of  the  Grove  was  purchased,  in  1835,  by  Rev.  W.  T.  Major,  and  it  has  since 
been  called  Major's  Grove.  Here  he  built  a  residence,  and  at  a  later  date,  in  1855  and 
IS5G,  he  erected  the  fine  educational  building,  since  called  Major's  College.  Its  cost  was 
over  S1G,000,  and  its  value,  with  the  land,  was  §2(1,000.  This  was  occupied  as  a  young 
ladies'  seminary  for  several  years,  though  at  first  intended  to  be  a  female  orphan  school. 
At  times,  it  was  well  filled  with  students  from  Bloomington  and  Central  Illinois,  having 
been  occupied  as  late  as  1S07.  Mr.  Major  was  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the 
Christian  d<  nomination.  He  gave  liberally  to  schools  and  colleges  of  that  Church,  and 
finally  decided  to  present  it  this  fine  building.  A  full  Board  of  Trustees  was  appointed, 
and  an  effort  made  to  operate  the  College  as  a  denominational  institution,  but  it  was  not 
very  successful,  owing,  mainly,  to  the  fact  that  'he  Christian  Church  was  interested  in 
several  other  Western  colleges.  This  magnificent  gift  from  one  of  the  noblest  Christian 
gentlemen  of  the  age,  is  almost  without  a  parallel.  The  College  building  i>  still  stand- 
ing, a  monument  to  his  memory. 

It  seems  that  there  is  nothing  of  very  special  public  interest  connected  with  the 
early  settlement  of  Normal  Township.  Down  to  the  adoption  of  township  organization 
in  1858,  the  residents  of  the  townships  were  attached  to  ihe  precinct  of  Bloomington, 
and  its  early  history  is  almost  inseparable  from  that  of  the  latter  town.  The  prairie- 
land  was  gradually  purchased  and  occupied,  until,  by  the  year  1850,  there  wen-  a  good 
many   farms   under  cultivation.      There  was,  howewr,  rather   a  rapid    demand    for   the 


131 

lands  during  the  speculative  era  of  1836.  Tn  that  year,  John  Woods  and  N.  E.  Hall 
entered  the  whole  of  Section  4;  P.  S.  Loughborough  entered  Section  9;  John  Grigg, 
the  whole  of  Section  15  ;  James  Allin  purchased  Section  17;  and  A.  Gridley  bought. 
Section  20.  The  year  previous,  1835,  saw  the  entry  of  Section  21,  by  James  Allin, 
and  Section  27  by  Dr.  John  F.  Henry.  This  rapid  entry,  did  not,  however,  indicate 
immediate  settlement,  as  most  of  these  tracts  were  purchased  on  "speculation,"  and 
were  not  improved  for  many  years.     Some  of  these  tracts  were  afterward  sold  for  taxes. 

All  that  portion  of  Normal  Township  included  within  the  limits  of  the  city  of 
Bloomington  was  settled  and  improved,  of  course,  with  the  city,  and  its  history  is 
included  in  that  of  the  city  proper  ;  just  outside  of  this  territory  we  shall  find  its  his- 
tory is  also  nearly  identical.  As  we  go  further  north,  the  land  was  early  improved,  the 
settlements  extending  northward  quite  gradually  from  the  center  to  the  northern  edge, 
where  in  the  northern  half  there  was  considerable  Government  land  as  late  as  in  1850, 
when  the  Illinois  Central  charter  granted  all  such  tracts  to  that  corporation.  Between 
1850  and  1856,  nearly  all  this  northern  portion  was  purchased  by  farmers,  and  improve- 
ments made  thereon,  though  a  few  tracts  were  unbroken  as  late  as  1 862.  Several  thou- 
sand acres  of  Normal  land  were  purchased  at  a  very  early  day  by  Judge  David  Davis, 
and  he  still  owns  2,000  acres  in  this  township.  Normal  was  quite  well  settled  in  1858, 
nearly  every  section  of  land  being  under  cultivation,  unless  we  except  the  Judge  Davis 
tract,  near  the  center  of  the  town,  and  few  other  portions  which  were  used  as  a  com- 
mon herding  ground.  As  late  as  1857,  the  Bloomington  city  cows  made  daily  journeys 
to  the  free  pasturage  offered  by  these  open  ranges.  Normal  farming  land  is  all  good, 
and  nearly  every  acre  of  it  is  held  at  high  prices. 

One  of  the  early  settlers  of  Normal  was  Mr.  Elihu  Rogers,  whose  home  was  on 
North  Main  street,  where  his  widow  now  resides.  He  was  engaged  in  business  many 
years  in  Bloomington,  and  was  always  liberal-hearted,  a  leader  in  all  good  enterprises. 
He  was  one  of  the  principal  organizers  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  in  Bloom- 
ington;  he  contributed  several  thousand  dollars  toward  the  new  church  in  1856.  Mrs. 
Rogers  built  the  best  business  block  in  the  village  of  Normal,  in  1877. 

Charles  E.  Fell's  nursery  was  started  quite  early — some  time  before  1859.  It  is 
one  of  the  best  collections  of  small  fruit  in  Central  Illinois. 

Cyrus  R.  Overman's  nursery  was  noted  all  over  the  West,  from  1857  to  1864. 
He  was  in  company  with  Capt.  W.  II.  Mann,  and  together  they  carried  on  a  very  large 
business  northeast  of  the  Normal  University.  Mr.  Overman  was  well  known  as  a 
writer  on  horticultural  subjects,  and  was  in  every  way  worthy  of  the  affection  and 
esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  friends  all  over  the  State.  At  his  death  a  few 
years  ago,  the  members  of  the  State  Horticultural  Society  erected  a  beautiful  monu- 
ment to  his  memory  in  the  Bloomington  Cemetery. 

The  world-renowned  nurseries  of  Mr.  F.  K.  Phoenix  were  also  in  Normal  Town- 
ship. These  are  described  elsewhere  in  this  work.  A.t  one  time  the  different  nursery- 
men in  Normal  Township  cultivated  over  one  thousand  acres  of  land  in  trees  and  small 
fruit.  Even  now,  notwithstanding  the  falling-off  in  the  trade,  there  is  probably  no  town 
in  this  State  that  has  as  much  ground  devoted  to  nurseries  as  has  Normal.  Several  of 
these  are  devoted  almost  wholly  to  raspberries,  blackberries  and  small  fruits.  Among 
"  those  who  are  interested  both  in  trees  and  fruit,  in  addition  to  the  ones  mentioned,  aro 
II.  K.  Vickroy  and  others. 


132 

TOWNSHIP   0RGAKIZA1  ION. 

Wr  have  before  mentioned  that  the  townehip  organization  of  McLean  County 
dates  from  the  spring  of  1858.  Previous  to  thai  time,  Normal  was  a  portion  of  the 
precinct  of  Bloomington,  and  voted  with  it  on  all  State,  national  and  county  matters. 
The  city  of  Bloomington,  even  then,  extended  into  the  township  of  Normal,  and  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  city  voted  then,  as  now,  at  ward  elections,  and  on  municip  il  questions. 
1)1.11  the  final  adoption  of  township  organization,  the  Biz  miles  square  north  of  Bloom- 
ington was  named,  very  appropriately,  Normal. 

The  firs!  town-meeting  was  held  April  6,  L858.   William  <i.  Thompson  was  el© 
Supervisor,  and  John  J.  North.  Town  Clerk  ;  <).  M.  Colman  ami  W    P.  Cooledge  were 

ii   Justices  <it'  the    Peace.      The  first    Commissioners  of    Highways   were  John 
McLean,  W.  M.  Hall  ami  Robert  Larrimore.     William  Hill  was    \-  ssor,  and    I 
Wnitmer,  Tax  Collector.     The  lamented  Cyrus  R.  Overman  was  Supervisor  in   1 
Mr.  < >.  M.  Colman  was  Supervisor  in  1866  and  1867. 

In  187!»,  the  Supervisor  was  K.  B.  Chaplin,  with  T.  ('.  Funk  as  his  Assist- 
ant.      The  Collector  was  Jerome   Chipman,   the    A or,  J.    B.   Sargent,  ami   the 

Town  Clerk,  W.  P.  McMurray.  The  town  vote  is  about  1,000,  when  all 
brought  out.  The  usual  number  of  voters  is  from  7>M)  to  '-'MO.  The  total 
population  of  the-  township,  meaning  thereby  all  who  live  in  the  six  miles  square, 
musl  be  nearly  6,000.  No  township  census  has  been  taken  since  \S~\).  The 
number  of  voters  is  large  enough  to  indicate  thai  6,000  is  not  far  from  what  the 
census  of  lSSti  will  exhibit.  That  portion  of  the  township  lying  in  the  corporatii  n  of 
Normal  contains  a  population  of  2,720,  and  that  lying  in  Bloomington  is  always  counted 
with  Bloomington  in  such  a  manner  that  it  can  with  difficulty  he  separated.  The 
United  States  census,  which  follows  the  township  lines  and  includes  all  the  agricultural 
people  living  in  neither  of  the  two  municipal  corporations,  as  well  as  those  in  the  latter, 
will  not  be  published  until  after  l.SXll. 

The  township  of  Normal,  like  nearly  all  our  McLean  County  townships,  moves 
along  in  a  very  quiet  manner.  It  has  incurred  no  debt;  it  meddles  not  with  the 
schools,  with  the  State  institutions,  nor  with  Normal  village.  Its  citizens  meet  and 
transact  what  little  business  there  is,  keep  their  taxes  down  as  low  as  possible,  elect 
their  officials,  and  then  go  home  and  wait  till  it  is  time  to  repeat  the  same  operation. 
In  I860,  the  population  of  Normal  Township  was  660.  In  1870,  the  population  of  the 
same  territory  was  1,372. 

Y 1 1.LAUE    ORGAN  I X  AT  [ON. 

To  provide  for  the  proper  government  of  the  rapidly-growing  village,  the  inhabit- 
ants voted  September  30,  1865,  under  the  general  law  to  incorporate  as  a  town.     The 

Trustee-    elected    Were     L      A.    Ho'.eV.    Wesley    lVaice       l>.    I'.    Fyffij,  John     A      llockwood 

and  8.  J.  Reeder. 

October  -.  the  Trustees  organized  by  choosing   Weslej  Pearce,  President,  and  S 
.1.  Reeder,  <  !lerk. 

The  firsl  election  under  the  charter  of  1867  was  held  March  18  of  that  year, 
resulting  in  the  choice  as  Trustees  of  W.  A.  Pennell,  L  A.  Hovey,  S.  J.  Reeder, 
William  Wilde  and  James  Loer. 

<  in  the  -1st  day  of  March  the  Trustees  met,  and  they  .-elected  L.  A.  Hovey  for 
President,  and  S.  J.  Reeder  as  Clerk.     The  territory  included  in  the  town  corporation 


133 


of  Normal  is  two  miles  square,  and  the  center  is  near  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
Normal  building.  Normal  "School  District"  comprises  the  same  territory,  and,  in  1867, 
the  members  of  its  "  Board  of  Education"  were  chosen  by  the  Town  Trustees.  On  the 
21st  day  of  March.  lSl'.T.  the  Trustees  elected  the  first  Board  of  Education,  consisting 
of  W.  B.  Smith.  0.  M.  Colman,  T.  S.  Underbill  and  J.  A.  Sewall.  Previous  to  this 
time,  the  children  of  the  district  had  attended  the  Model  School,  which  is  attached  to 
the  Normal.  All  the  property  in  Normal  School  District,  except  the  University,  or 
other  property  properly  exempt,  is  taxable  for  school  purposes  ;  while  for  corporation 
purposes,  farming  or  horticultural  lands,  in  ten-acre  tracts  or  larger,  are  not  taxed  unless 
laid  out  in  town  lots,  or  used  as  residences. 

The  present  Board  of  Town  Trustees  is:  B.  F.  Carpenter,  President;  H.  G. 
Fisher,  H.  K.  Vickroy,  R.  B.  Chaplin  and  J.  Chipman.  As  before  stated,  this  Board 
has  no  power  to  license  the  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors,  and  as  a  result  it  has  little  need 
of  police  or  police  magistrates.  There  are  now  2,720  people  within  the  corporation  by 
actual  count  ;  and  we  question  if  there  can  be  found  in  the  State  a  village  of  equal 
size  with  so  large  a  number  of  moral  and  religious  and  well-behaved  persons.  The 
village  is  just  what  it  was  hoped  it  would  become,  when,  in  1857,  the  State  Board  of 
Education  selected  this  as  the  site  of  the  future  training-place  for  the  common-school 
teachers  of  Illinois.  Away  from  the  temptations  of  a  populous  city,  in  the  midst  of  a 
population  made  up  largely  of  people  who  have  made  Normal  their  homes  for  the  sake 
of  its  educational  and  social  advantages,  the  State  Normal  University  is  admitted  by 
the  general  public  to  be  most  happily  located,  while  the  citizens  of  the  village  are  justly 
proud  of  the  institution,  which  has  become  a  model  to  be  patterned  after  by  all  those 
States  which  are  seeking  to  elevate  the  standard  of  education  within  their  borders. 

To  illustrate  the  energy  and  the  appreciation  of  educational  institutions  manifested 
by  the  citizens  of  Normal,  we  will  mention  the  gallant  fight  it  made  in  1 807  for  the  loca- 
tion of  the  State  Industrial  College.  The  citizens  of  Normal  Township  voted  §100,000 
of  ten  per  cent  bonds ;  and  besides  were  ready  individually  to  pledge  quite  a  large  sum. 
The  total  offer  for  the  location  of  the  college  was  : 

McLean  County  10-per-cent  bonds !?200,000 

Bloomington  City  10-per-cent  bonds 100,000 

Normal  Township  10-per-cent  bonds 100,000 

Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  Subscription  (freight) 50  0O0 

David  Davis,  cash 25,000 

Jesse  W.  Fell,  cash 15,000 

Citizens  of  Normal  and  Bloomington,  140-acre  tract  for  site 40,000 

Total $530,000 

The  magnitude  and  liberality  of  this  offer,  viewed  in  the  light  of  the  present  value 
of  money,  seems  almost  marvelous,  and  yet  there  is  little  doubt  that  had  Normal  been 
successful,  the  Industrial  College,  added  to  the  Normal  University,  together  with  other 
institutions  which  would  naturally  have  been  attracted  thither,  the  investment,  large  as 
it  seems,  would  have  been  worth  all  it  would  have  cost.  This  is  also  an  illustration  of 
the  harmony  of  feeling  existing  between  Normal,  Bloomington  and  the  people  of  the 
county  at  large,  a  proof  that  we  are  really  one  in  interest  and  feeling.  In  fact,  so  thor- 
oughly are  the  inhabitants  of  Bloomington  and  Normal  convinced  that  their  welfare  i 
almost  identical,  that  quite  a  movement  has  been  made  for  their  formal  union  under  one 


13-4 

ernment.  There  are  man;  weight;  reasons  for  such  a  anion,  and  it  lb  very  prob- 
able that  some  future  historian  may  tell  the  story  of  its  accomplishment  At  present, 
one  of  the  chief  objections  on  the  part  of  Normal  is  the  sale  of  liquor  at  retail — now 
utterly  prohibited  in  their  villagi — )>ut  which  would  probably  be  allowed  if  the  two  plae  - 
w<  re  in  one  municipality, 

NORMAL. 

As  i  matter  of  course,  we  find  the  early  settlement  of  the  village  of  Normal  cannot 
antedate  the  location  of  the  town  unless  we  include  as  residents  those  farmers  whose  land 

went  to  make  up  the  two-miles  Bquare  of  the  place  itself.  We  have  made  no  effort  to 
trace  the  actual  settlement  of  any  of  these  firm-,  taking  it  for  granted  that  several  fam- 
ilies were  living  here  previous  to  the  location  of  the  town  site  of  "  North  Blooming- 
ton"  in  the  early  part  ol  1854.  The  cars  ran  on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  through 
Normal  in  May.  1853,  hut,  by  the  latter  part  of  that  year,  the  line  of  the  present  Chi- 
■  A  Alton  road  was  sufficiently  well  established  to  indicate  where  it  would  cross  the 
Central,  fixing  thus  the  point  where  a  town  might  be  built,  if  suitable  efforts  should  be 
made.  We  have  elsewhere  stated  the  facts  in  relation  to  the  establishment  here  of  the 
young  village  of  North  Bloomington  in  1854,  and  of  it-  change  of  name  to  Normal 
in  1858. 

When  the  Normal  Sehool  was  in  Major's  Hall,  in  Bloomington,  from  October,  1  B57, 
to  June,  1  SOU,  the  village  of  Normal  was  rather  a  dull  place.  As  stated  below,  there 
were  perhaps  nearly  twenty  families  living  here  during  this  time,  but  there  was  no 
visible  reason  for  the  existence  of  the  town,  which  had  the  appearance  of  being  on  hand 
before'  it  was  needed.  The  present  business  portion,  where  the  blocks  of  stores  are  now 
heated,  was  in  1858  a  beautiful  grass  plat,  remarkably  smooth,  looking  in  some  respects 
like  a  village  green  in  an  Eastern  town.  In  the  month  of  dune,  is.'iS.  the  Normal  stu- 
dents had  an  excursion  to  view  the  site  of  the  future  seat  of  learning,  and  on  their 
return  the  young  men  had  &  game  of  ball  on  the  green  grass  where  now  we  see  the 
business  part  id*  the  town,  and  the  site  was  one  of  the  best  that  could  possibly  be  ima 
ined  for  that  purpose.  The  writer  has  a  distinct  and  vivid  remembrance  of  the  BCene, 
and  to  his  mind  the  view  was  one  of  the  most  charming  ever  met.  He  watched 
the  game  as  a  spectator,  and  remembers  wondering  whether  the  town  would  ever  grow 
enough  to  encroach  upon  what  was  then  called  by  the  students  the  "ball-ground." 
This  -pot  was  covered  Only  with  grass  as  late  as  18G3. 

While  the  game  was  going  on,  the  railroad  ears  rushed  past,  barely  stopping  at  the 
crossing,  having  rarely  any  business  at  this  point.  In  fact,  so  careful  were  the  railroads 
not  to  make  any  foolish  stops  in  those  days,  that  even  when  the  material  began  to 
arrive  for  tin'  Normal  building,  in  the  fall  of  1857,  there  were  no  conveniences  here  for 
receiving  freight,  and  the  State  Hoard  of  Education  actually  passed  a  resolution 
requesting    the    companies  to  put   in  side  tracks    here    for    th.ir   convenience,  which  was 

done,  as  requested,  by  the  Chicago  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  in  a  very  short  time  thereafter. 

'flu  first   family  to  settle  here  ly  virtue  of  the  demands  of  the  town,  was  that  of 
Nil-.  William   Mo( ' ambrid ge,  who  o am  i  as  agent  of  the  nilro.id-  in  L854,  to  look  after 
their  interests al  the  crossing.     His  family  lived  for  a  time  in  the  rude  depot-building, 

which  stood  in   the  north  angle  of  the  railroad  "  junction."  as  a  crossing  was  often  called 
in  those  days.      Sometimes  the  place  was  called  by  its  proper  name,  oflener  "  Blooming- 

ton  Junction."     Mr.  MoCambridge's  neighbors  were  the  dunks,  Bakewells,  Colemans, 


135 

Hills.  Joshua  Fell's  family,  W.  F.  M.  Amy,  the  Taylors  and  a  few  others,  who  lived 
on 'farming-lands  which  were  wholly  or  partly  within  the  present  village  limits.  Mr.  Amy 
was  living  on  a  farm  just  west  of  the  University  building,  west  of  .Main  street.  lie 
was  a  remarkable  man.  He  was  a  minister,  a  lecturer,  an  educator,  a  politician,  a  news- 
paper writer,  was  in  short,  ready  fur  almost  anything  that  might  turn  up  in  a  new 
country.  Though  living  on  a  farm,  tradition  asserts  that  farming  was  almost  the  only 
business  he  did  not  understand.  His  name  frequently  occurs  in  the  history  of  Bloom- 
ington  and  Normal  until  the  year  1856,  when  he  was  made  the  Secretary  of  the  Kansas 
Free  State  Emigrant  Aid  Society,  and  after  that  date  his  fame  became  national.  His 
services  there,  as  well  as  here,  were  of  great  assistance  to  the  cause  of  humanity.  Mr. 
Amy  was  one  of  Normal's  projectors  and  early  benefactors,  and  is  always  mentioned 
with  respect.  He  became  Governor  of  the  Territory  of  New  Mexico,  and  filled  the 
position  very  creditably  for  several  years.     He  has  since  been  an  Indian  agent. 

Mr.  .Jesse  W.  Fell's  residence  was  finished  in  185G,  when  his  family  moved  into 
the  new  house,  finding  in  the  vicinity  only  the  family  of  Mr.  McCambridge.  During 
the  next  year,  1857,  the  Normal  University  was  located,  and  from  that  time  the  settle- 
ment went  forward  rapidly.  By  the  close  of  that  season,  we  learn  of  the  following 
families,  in  addition  to  those  before  mentioned  as  residents  of  North  Bloomington : 
Loran  R.  Case,  Addison  Reeder,  James  Maley,  Stephen  Dike,  John  J.  North,  John  R. 
Dodge,  James  Carleton,  John  Carleton,  Mrs.  Taylor,  William  Junk  and  Joseph  Walker. 
The  Landon  House,  now  occupied  by  the  family  of  Mr.  C.  R.  .Parke,  was  started  in 
1856.  and  finished  in  1857. 

The  University  foundation  was  commenced  in  the  fall  of  1857,  and  over  $30,000 
expended  thereon.  A  foundry  was  also  commenced,  owned  principally  by  Mr.  Fell,  in 
company  with  Mr.  Reeder,  but  the  enterprise  was  a  failure.  Some  of  the  castings  used 
in  the  Normal  building  were  made  here,  and  also  the  iron  work  for  Royce  Block  in 
Bloomington. 

The  financial  crisis  of  the  fall  of  1857  caused  a  discontinuance  of  work  on  the  Nor- 
mal, and  this  of  course  acted  as  a  damper  upon  the  new  town.  During  the  year  1858, 
and  also  during  1859,  but  few  residences  were  erected,  among  which  we  can  mention 
that  of  Mrs.  Robinson,  in  1859.  In  the  latter  year,  work  on  the  Normal  building  was 
pushed  with  great  vigor,  and  the  town  began  to  have  good  prospects  again.  During  the 
following  winter,  plans  were  made  for  the  erection  of  several  residences,  and  they  were 
completed  in  1860.  Among. these  we  will  mention  those  of  President  Hovey,  Messrs. 
Hewett  and  Moore,  who  were  of  the  Faculty,  Albert  North,  Wesley  Pearce,  William 
Flynn  and  Mr.  J.  S.  Stewart,  By  this  time,  the  town  made  quite  a  pleasing  appearance, 
several  of  the  residences  evidencing  good  taste.  All  of  Normal  was  most  distinctly  visi- 
ble from  almost  any  point,  as  the  trees  were  then  in  their  infancy. 

When  the  Normal  institution  was  opened  at  the  new  building,  in  the  fall  of  1860, 
there  were  not  enough  rooms  in  the  village  for  all  the  students  who  wished  board,  and 
during  the  fall  term  many  boarded  at  Bloomington.  A  new  sidewalk  was  constructed 
to  meet  the  walks  in  Bloomington,  and  it  extended  nearly  to  the  comer  of  Main  and 
Chestnut  streets.  When  this  old  foot  walk  was  new,  there  was  some  good  walking  done 
by  Normal  students  of  both  sexes.  All  the  boarding-houses  in  Normal  were  full  to 
overflowing.  There  were  only  two  houses  with  many  rooms;  these  were  kept  by  Mrs- 
J.  H.  Stewart  and  Mrs.  Grinnell,  the  latter  in  what  was  called  the  Landon  House. 


136 

Normal  built  it;*  first  sidewalk  in  the  fall  of  I860.  ;in<l  it  then  began  to  take  on  the 
air.-  of  a  village,  though  it  .lid  not  a   post  office,  a  telegraph  office,  or  stores,  for 

several  y<  irs 

The  first  post  office  was  opened  about  the  year  1862,  on  the  corner  of  Linden  street 

and  the  C.  A  A.  Railroad,  in  B  building  where  there  was  also  a  store.  The  first  Post- 
master  was  Robert  B  Bower,  and  the  first  store  was  kept  by  a  Mr.  Phillips.  The  two 
railroads  did  not  at  first  make  Normal  a  full  office,  tickets  haying  first  been  sold  from  this 
place  on  the  Chicago  A  Alton  road,  April  l.  1864  ;  William  McCambridge,  Jr.,  wasthe 
fir.-t  agent  who  Bold  tickets  and  made  all  the  regular  official  reports  in  1804.  Shortly 
after  tins  time,  he  also  became  the  first  express  agent  .  he  was  also  the  first  telegraph 
operator,  in  1870. 

The  Chicago  &  Alton  Company  built  a  depot  in  1864,  which  was  burned  at  the 
time  of  the  Normal  Hotel  tire,  February  14.  1872.  Very  soon  after  the  present  station- 
house  was  erected.  The  freight-house  on  this  road  was  constructed  in  1866;  and  in 
1871,  the  freight-house  of  the  Central  was  built,  which  has  since  been  destroyed  by  fire 
and  replaced  by  another  building  which  is  a  duplicate  of  the  first. 

In  the  chapters  relating  to  the  public  schools,  churches,  and  the  State  institutions, 
we  have  given  the  dates  of  the  erection  of  the  buildings  used  by  each,  and  we  will  not 
her.-  repeat  those  statements. 

We  should  also  mention  that  the  village  of  Normal  grew  with  wonderful  rapidity 
from  about  the  year  1864  to  1870.  Since  the  latter  date,  improvements  have  been  made 
quite  slowly  ;  and  at  present,  Normal,  like  all  the  towns  in  this  part  of  the  State,  appears 
to  be  almost  at  a  stand.  It  is,  however,  a  beautiful  village,  noted  all  over  the  West  for 
its  fine  appearance;  for  the  intelligence  and  culture  of  its  citizens;  and  is  very  specially 
remarkable  for  the  trees  which  are  so  strikingly  beautiful.  But  as  we  have  touched 
imre  fully  upon  each  of  these  topics  in  other  portions  of  this  work,  we  will  not  here 
enlarge  upon  them. 

Quite  a  large  number  of  the  best  families   living  in  Normal    have  become  citizens 

since  1S04,  having  come  here  for  the  express  purpose  of  rearing  their  children  in  the 

in.  st    moral   and  best   behaved   community  they  could  find  with   first-class    educational 

advantages.      Many  of  these  families   had  accumulated  enough    property  at  farming  or 

other  business  for  a  comfortable  support,  and  have  here  built  or  purchased  homes  where 

they  can    attend  to  the  education   of  their  children.      This  element  of  society  is  a  v.iy 

important  one,  and,  added  to  others  that  are  equal  in  all  respects,  gives  the  town  a  good 

name  and  a  permanency  that  it  is  hoped  will   grow  with  time  until  Normal  will    beoonu 

a  place  of  national  reputation. 

tk  I 

Normal  has  obtained  an  enviable  reputation  for  its  beautiful  trees  and  shrubbery. 
At  the  time  of  tie-  looaton  of  the  State  Normal   I  'niversity,  as  we  have  stated,  the  town 

i  Oar.',  wild-looking  piece  of  prairie,  enlivened  occasionally  by  the  smoke  and  noise 
of  a  few  railroad  trains,  ami  then  relapsing  into  desolate  quiet  A  beginning  had  been 
made,  however,  by  Mr.  Jesse  W.  bell,  in  that  great  tree-planting  enterprise  in  which  he 
took  such  a  loving  interest.     In  the  year  1856,  he  had  planted  a  large  number  at  North 

Bl Mu-toii,  and  al   the  very  time  of  the  visit  of  the  State    Hoard  of  Education  bo 

view  the  site  for  the   Normal  University,  in   1857,  his  men  were  busy  at   tree-planting 

on    the    public    highways.      The    fact    of  the   start  thus  already  made,  together  with  the 


137 

interest  then  awakened  in  the  matter  of  ornamental  shrubbery,  by  such  men  as  Cyrus 
R.  Overman,  0.  M.  Coleman,  W.  H.  Mann  and  F.  K.  Phoenix,  all  living  in  the  town- 
ship, and  all  enthusiastic  tree-planters,  went  far  to  convince  the  members  of  that  Board 
that  the  young  institution  would  fall  into  good  hands,  and  its  future  be  watched  by 
careful  men,  if  it  should  be  located  at  this  point;  and  the  more  than  twenty  thousand 
beautiful  trees  at  Normal,  with  the  successful  twenty-two  years'  growth  of  the  Normal 
University,  bear  united  witness  to  the  foresight  of  the  tuen  of  1857.  The  zeal  and 
enthusiasm  of  Mr.  Fell  in  the  subject  of  trees  on  our  public  highways,  found  vent  before 
he  had  fairly  commenced  his  labors,  by  giving  names  of  trees  to  the  streets  of  North 
Bluomington,  at  the  time  of  recording  its  plat  in  the  Circuit  Clerk's  office. 

Proceeding  from  west  to  east,  we  find  Maple,  Walnut,  Oak,  Linden  and  Elm 
streets  ;  from  Sycamore,  going  south,  we  come  successively  to  Poplar,  Cypress,  Willow, 
Locust,  Cherry,  Mulberry  and  Ash  streets.  Is  not  this  an  atmosphere  of  verdure? 
How  could  the  new  town  help  growing  as  the  trees  grew,  fresh,  graceful,  ever  increasing 
with  each  annual  effort  ? 

The  planting  of  shade-trees  in  double  rows  in  such  a  manner  that  the  sidewalks 
are  overhung  by  the  two  rows,  is  a  novel  feature — one  that  is  duplicated  in  but  few 
places  in  the  land.  It  is  said  that  Germantown,  Penn.,  has  similarly  shaded  sidewalks. 
This  is  the  distinguishing  feature  of  Normal.  The  number  of  these  trees  planted  adja- 
cent to  sidewalks  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  six  thousand.  There  are  a  little  over  nine 
miles  of  streets  thus  shaded.  There  have  been  planted,  in  the  streets,  within  the  lots, 
upon  the  grounds  belonging  to  the  State  at  the  two  institutions,  and  in  private  parks, 
the  larger  part  of  the  whole  under  the  direct  care  and  supervision  of  Mr.  Fell,  over 
thirty-five  thousand  trees,  including  shade,  shelter  and  fruit  trees.  These  trees  now 
range  in  height  from  twenty  to  fifty  feet,  and  give  the  town  in  summer  the  appearance 
of  being  one  vast,  ornamented  park,  with  a  few  houses  in  sight,  the  church-spires,  even, 
being  then  visible  only  at  a  distance  of  a  few  blocks.  Well  may  Normal  be  proud  of 
these  shade-trees,  which  are  monuments  to  the  memory  of  those  who  planned  and  exe- 
cuted the  immense  work  of  transplanting,  guarding  and  training  these  beautiful 
objects. 

Our  work  is  not  complete  without  an  appropriate  tribute  to  Mr.  Jesse  W.  Fell,  to 
whom,  more  than  to  any  other  person,  Normal  is  indebted  for  its  existence,  for  its 
beautiful  trees  and  for  the  most  of  real  public  worth  and  value  that  it  contains.  We 
are  recording  public  events  and  speaking  for  a  thankful,  proud  and  generous  public 
heart.  We  are  well  aware  that  Mr.  Fell  enjoins  silence  on  the  part  of  public  chroniclers  ; 
that  he  modestly  prefers  no  panegyric  to  his  name  and  fame,  but  we  insist  upon  making, 
here  in  this,  albeit,  weak,  formal  manner,  a  general  acknowledgment  of  the  public 
appreciation  of  the  life-long  labors  of  Jesse  W.  Fell.  We  will  accept  his  disclaimer  of 
his  selfish  motives  in  bringing  together  at  Normal  as  many  good  influences  as  possible, 
but  we  must  insist  that  we  are  thankful  to  acknowledge  he  had  the  nobility  of 
heart  to  conceive,  and  the  manhood  and  ability  to  carry  into  effect,  no  plans  except 
those  which  were  good  ones ;  no  projects  but  those  whose  success  should  inure  to  the 
happiness  and  welfare  of  his  fellow-men.  Happy  the  man  who  had  the  head  and  heart 
to  realize  that  his  own  self-interest  would  be  best  subserved  by  engaging  himself  and 
others  in  enterprises  like  those  which  have  been  consummated  at  Normal.  Thankful 
we  are  also  that  Mr.  Fell  took  delight  in  planting  trees  ;    that  in  this  occupation  he  was 


138 

happy  and  at  home  ;  and  thai  in  other  respects  he  planned  an  i  managed  in  the  interests 
of  public  education,  Bobriety,  morality  and  humanity. 

If  we  may  be  permitted,  we  wish  to  <■:»  1 1  attention  to  the  magnificent  park  which 
surrounds  Mr.  Fell's  residence.     Here  he  his  passion  for  artistic  shrub- 

. .  his  love  for  elegant  groups  of  beautiful  trees,  his  fancy  for  such  ornamentation  as 
comes  from  the  most  skillful  arrangement  of  all  the  different  trees  that  will  grow  in 
this  latitude.  This  park  is  a  lasting  monumenl  to  its  originator,  and  is  a  possession 
-hand  by  the  public  almost  equally  with  its  owner. 

CHI    ft!   Ml.-. 

Til.'  residents  of  Normal  Township  attended  the  different  churches  in  Blooming- 
ton until  several  years  after  the  village  had  Keen  started.  The  first  religious  services  in 
the  village  were  held  in  the  University  building  in  the  winter  of  1860—61.  This  was 
the  first  year  of  its  occupancy,  and  during  this  winter  there  were  Sabbath-afternoon 
union  services,  the  different  pa-tors  of  Bloomington  being  employed  in  regular  rotation. 
This  continued  to]-  -Mine  time  and  gave  good  satisfaction  until  the  village  bad  srrown 
large  enough  to  begin  to  have  enough  permanent  inhabitants  to  form  churches  of  the 
leading  denominations,  when  the  Congregationalists  and  Methodists  took  steps  to  organ- 
ize their  respective  churches,  followed  soon  alter  by  the  Baptists,  Presbyterians  and 
Christians.  There  are  a  huge  number  of  families  in  Normal  who  are  connected  with 
churches  in  Bloomington,  and  who  help  swell  the  numbers  included  in  the  churche-  of 
that  city.  In  this  particular,  as  in  several  others,  we  find  it  very  difficult  to  separate 
the  interests  of  the  two  communities. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  of  Normal  was  organized  .July  L3,  1866,  with  thirty 
members.  Rev.  John  B.  Kent,  from  Holyoke,  Mass.,  was  the  first  Pastor.  They 
built  a  small  frame  chapel,  26x40  feet,  which  they  occupied  for  about  three  years,  when 
this,  from  the  rapid  increase  of  membership,  became  too  small  for  them.  In  1871,  they 
•  rec  ted  a  fine  brick  house,  10x70  feet,  costing  815,000,  which  they  now  occupy.  The 
number  of  members  that  have  united  with  them  since  their  organisation  is  286.      The 

nt  number  is  158.  The  Church  is  now  in  a  prosperous  condition.  They  have  a 
large  Sabbath  school,  which  is  well  sustained,  besides  a  mis-ion  school  at  the  West 
Side,  which  is  on  the  increase.     Their  present  Pa-tor  is  Rev.  S.  B.  Gilbert. 

The  Christian  Church  was  organized  in  April,  1873.  The  firsl  Pastor  was  Rev.  S.  M. 
( 'minor.    There  were  only  about  twenty  members  at  that  date,  while  at  present  there  are  one 

hundred  and  forty.     Its  present  PastorisN.  A.Walker.    Its  church-building  was  erected 
in   1873,  and   is  a  very  comfortable  and  creditable  structure.      Its    Elders  are    II.  il 
Fiaher,  John  Gregory  and  Isaiah  Dillon. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  organized 'September,  1865.  Rev.  C.  D. 
James  was  the  first  Pastor.  The  church-building  was  begun  in  1  866,  and,  in  the  fol- 
lowing winter,  the  basement  was  ready  for  occupancy.  The  church  was  dedicated  Janu- 
ary 7.  L868.  The  membership  at  the  time  of  organization  was  32;  present  number, 
17.).     The  present    Pastor  is  the   Rev.  George  M.  [rvin,  who  was  appointed  in  1878. 

The  building  i-  of  brick,  of  fine  design,  with  one  tower  til)  feel  high,  and  another  11!), 
ami  is  one  of  the  ornaments  of  Normal.  Its  cost  was  over  $lti,000.  The  Sabbath 
school  is  very  flourishing,  there  being  nearly  two  hundred  in  attendance.  The  Society 
wa»  transferred  to  the  Central  Illinois  Conference  in  1S72. 


139 

The  Presbyterian  Church  of  Normal  was  organized   by  the  Presbytery  of  Bh i 

iDgton  July  3.  1868,  with  only  ten  members.  The  church  is  at  the  corner  of  Linden 
and  Cherry  streets.  It  was  built  in  1871  at  a  cost  of  about  82,500.  It  was  dedicated 
February  17,  1872.  At  present  it  has  about  seventy  members  and  maintains  a  good 
Sabbath  school.  Its  first  Pastor  was  the  Rev.  8.  Hart,  who  remained  until  May,  1872, 
when  his  place  was  supplied  by  Rev.  Dr.  S.  Wilson,  who  officiated  three  years.  Rev. 
W.  L.  Boyd  is  the  present  Pastor. 

The  first  church-building  erected  by  the  Congregational  Church  was  dedicated 
June  23,  1807.  The  Church  had  been  organized  several  years  previously — sometime  in 
the  spring  of  1805 — having  met  for  some  time  in  the  University  building.  Its  first 
church  was  a  very  beautiful  structure,  having  cost  with  the  parsonage  adjoining  over 
$15,000.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire  May  30,  1873.  The  total  loss  on  buildings  and 
furniture  was  $18,000;  insured  for  $7,700.  This  fire  was  a  very  severe  blow  to  the 
( 'hurch,  but,  on  the  12th  of  September,  1879,  it  dedicated  a  new  structure.  The  Church 
contains  at  present  about  ninety  members.  Its  Pastor  is  the  Rev.  Albert  Etheridge. 
It  is  probable  that  no  other  church  in  Bloomington  or  Normal  has  ever  survived  as 
heavy  a  loss  as  this  one  has  experienced. 

NORMAL  PUBLIC  SCHOOL. 

We  have  mentioned  that  the  first  school  in  Normal  was  probably  the  one  taught  in 
1855,  in  a  small  building  situated  a  little  southeast  of  the  residence  of  Mr.  Jesse  W< 
Fell,  upon  what  is  known  on  the  plat  of  North  Bloomington  as  Seminary  Block.  There 
were  about  fifteeu  children  in  this  school.  Its  first  teacher  was  Miss  Brown,  who  is  still 
living  in  Normal.  She  is  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Walker.  Mr.  P.  C.  W.  Lyman  was  the  next 
teacher,  followed  by  a  very  young  man  named  William  O.  Davis,  who  is  now  proprietor 
of  the  Bloomington  Pantagraph.  When  the  Normal  institution  was  opened  at  Nor- 
mal in  the  fall  of  1800,  the  children  of  what  was  known  as  District  No.  2,  embracing  a 
portion  of  what  is  now  the  corporation  and  school  district  of  Normal  were  all  admitted 
to  the  Model  School  of  the  Normal,  an  arrangement  having  been  effected  by  which  the 
public  funds  of  the  district  were  used  to  defray,  in  part,  the  expenses  of  the  Model 
Department.  We  quote  the  following  from  President  Edwards'  decennial  address, 
delivered  at  Normal  June  27,  1872  : 

The  Grammar  School,  as  a  separate  department,  was  organized  in  September,  lS'SO.  Pre- 
vious to  that  lime,  the  Model  School  was  entirely  under  the  supervision  of  the  Principal  of  the 
High  School.  All  this  time,  too,  the  school  had  included  all  the  children  of  school  age,  in  Dis- 
trict No.  2  of  the  town  of  Normal.  But  as  the  village  increased,  and  the  number  of  children 
multiplied,  the* rooms  at  the  University  became  too  small  for  their  accommodation.  Accordingly. 
a  schoolhouse  was  built  by  the  district,  and,  in  April,  1867,  the  grammar  and  intermediate 
grades  of  the  Model  School  were  removed  to  the  new  building.  While  these  grades  were  yet  in 
the  University  Building,  Mr.  E.  P.  Burlingharn,  then  of  Geneseo,  was  appointed  to  conduct  the 
grammar  grade.  But  the  first  Principal  in  the  new  building  was  Mr.  John  W.  Conk.  He  con- 
tinued in  the  position  for  two  years,  and  was  succeeded  in  September,  1868,  by  Mr.  Joseph 
Caiter.  Under  these  two  gentlemen,  the  grammar  school  became  a  popular  and  efficient  insti- 
tution— well  graded,  thoroughly  organized  and  marked  by  a  vigorous  and  positive  power.  At 
the  beginning  of  Mr.  Carter's  principalship,  the  arrangement  by  which  the  children  of  school- 
age  belonging  to  District  No.  2  of  the  town  of  Normal  had  been  taught  in  the  Model  School  was 
annulled  by  a  vote  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  the  University  ceased 
to  exercise  control  over  the  new  building  erected  by  the  district.  For  the  last  two  years,  the 
grammar  grade  has  been  conducted  by  Mr.  B.  W.  Baker,  a  representative  of  Southern  Illinois, 
and  a  graduate  of  the  University  in  the  year  1870. 


14" 

This  school  h:ts  been  held,  since  the  date  given,  by  Mr.  Edwards,  in  the  new  brick 
school-building,  which  is  Mich  evidence  of  the  good  taste  and  refinement  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  Normal,  [ts  cost  was  $16,000.  The  Normal  public  school,  in  L879,  num- 
bered G.")U  pnpils.  Nine  teachers  arc  employed  in  the  different  grades.  Its  Principal 
i-  A.  ('.  Butler. 

[Ml  ORPOBA1  RD    I  OMPANI1  - 

The  Bloomington  and  Normal  Street  Railway  Company,  was  organised  in  the 
spring  of  lv»>7.  Before  the  selection  of  its  route  there  was  a  good  deal  nf  excitement 
At  one  time,  when  the  Legislature  was  voting  upon  the  charter  of  the  proposed  line, 
there  was  a  prospect  that  the  State  Industrial  College  would  be  located  at  Normal.  Had 
the  location  been  made,  the  College  was  to  have  been  placed  just  north  of  the  Chi 
\  Alum  Railroad,  on  the  west  side  of  Main  street  This  would  have  fixed  the  street 
railroad  upon  Main  street  or  some  one  not  far  off.  When  the  time  came  for  organisa- 
tion and  location,  there  was  quite  a  strife  for  the  Hue  a  few  blocks  east  of  the  street 

bed,  as  well  as  for  the  Main  street  route.  The  road  was  organized  under  a  special 
charter.  It  was  finished  in  the  fall  of  1867.  At  first  ''dummy"  engines  were  run 
between  Normal  and  the  city  limits  of  Bloomington,  but  after  about  two  years1  trial 
these  engines  were  sold  and  the  more  reliable  mule  was  substituted.  The  road  is  -till 
owned  by  a  corporation,  but  as  Mr.  Asa  II.  Moore  possesses  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
stock,  he  can  be  reported  as  being  practically  the  full  Board  of  Officers.  We  under- 
stand there  is  no  great  profit  in  the  property,  but  Mr.  Moore  keeps  it  in  good  shape  tor 
the  public  accommodation. 

The  Bloomington  Stove  Company's  shops  are  in  the  limits  of  the  town  of  Normal, 
and  a  large  portion  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Company's  repair-shops,  as  well  as  their 
rolling-mill,  but  these  matters  will  properly  be  treated  in  the  city  of  Bloomington. 

The  Empire  Machine-Shops  in  the  south  part  of  the  township,  were  organised  at 
first  as  a  company,  but  have  now  become  private  property,  and  arc  managed  by  W.  K. 
Flagg,  whose  money  in  the  first  place  mostly  built  and  operated  the  whole  concern. 

RESl  R\  KY   OF  NORMAL. 

From  the  earliest  settlement  of  Normal  Township,  there  were  grave  troubles  aris- 
ing  from  the  location  of  section  and  half-section  corners.  The  lines  of  the  different 
latins  and  the  proper  position  of  roads  could  scarcely  be  permanently  placed,  as  each 
new  surveyor  would  find  errors  in  the  previous  survey.  The  trouble  seemed  to  be  that 
only  the  out>ide  or  township  lines  were  ever  properly  fixed  by  the  Government  Sur- 
veyors. They  perhaps  drove  stakes  to  indicate  the  section  and  half-section  lines,  but 
placed  00  -tone-  at  these  corners.  There  being  notices  and  no  permanent  corners,  in 
the  course  of  a  few  years  the  fires  had  destroyed  all  boundaries.  The  first  settlers  did 
the  best  they  could,  and  lines  and  corners  were  established  in  various  ways,  causing 
never-ending  confusion.  Some  sections  would  over-run,  others  fall  short  of  the  proper 
amount.  Finally,  in  dune.  1861,  in  locating  the  Bohoolhouse  in  the  Overman  district, 
such  grave  errors  in  existing  lines  were  demonstrated  that,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years 
the  owners  of  property  came  to  the  conclusion  that  they  would  abide  by  a  resurvey,  to 
be  made  nnder  provisions  of  an  act  of  the  Legislature.  This  act  was  obtained  in  the 
winter  of  1864 and  1865.  It  provided  a  commission  nf  three — A.  T.  Risley,  of  Macon 
County;  John  McGrew,ofDe  Witt,  and  Z    A    Boos,  of  Sangamon.     This  commission, 


141 

in  the  tall  of  1865.    assisted  by  George  J'.  Ela,  of  Bloomington,    proceeded   to  survey 

and  re-establish  the  lines  of  the  whole   township,  placing  them  as  near  where  they  had 

been  before  as  was  practicable,  and  the  result    has  been    tolerably    satisfactory.     Bach 

owner  was  made  a  party  to  the  case  by  advertisement,  before  the  survey  commenced, 

causing  the  publication  of  an  immense  list  of  names.     The  cost — about  $3,000 — was 

paid  by  the  owners  of  the  land.     Appeals  might  be  taken  from  this  commission  to  the 

courts.     All  such  as  were  carried  to  the  Supreme  Court,   were  Bettled  by  a  decision 

which  sustained  the  law. 

[NCIDENT8. 

When  the  Illinois  ('(Mitral  Railroad  was  constructed,  the  bridge  over  the  south 
branch  of  Sugar  Creek,  not  far  north  of  the  Empire  Machine  Works,  was  built  of  brick, 
in  the  shape  of  an  arch,  on  the  top  of  which  was  a  high  embankment.  The  long  con 
tinned  rains  of  the  spring-  of  1858,  softened  this  mass  of  earth,  and  it  rested  with  a 
heavy  pressure  upon  the  brick  arch  underneath,  which  must  have  been  of  faulty 
construction,  as  it  was  designed  to  carry  the  load  with  safety.  One  night,  in  the  month 
of  .May  or  June,  the  brick-work  fell,  allowing  the  embankment  thereon  to  drop  into  the 
creek.  This,  of  course,  created  a  dam,  and,  as  a  large  amount  of  water  was  flowing  at 
the  time,  it  soon  rose  nearly  as  high  as  the  impediment,  which  was  probably  at  least 
fifteen  feet.  This  water  backed  up  and  overflowed  the  farms  east,  rising  in  some  cases 
into  houses,  frightening  the  sleeping  inmates  nearly  to  death.  As  soon  as  the  pressure 
became  sufficient,  the  water  broke  through  the  embankment,  carrying  onward  with 
resistless  fury  large  masses  of  masonry  and  earth,  in  some  cases,  lumps  that  would 
weigh  half  a  ton,  being  moved  a  quarter  of  a  mile.     No  lives  were  lost. 

In  1867,  the  Normal  Hotel,  situated  near  the  depot,  was  built  by  W.  A.  Pennell, 
.Jesse  W.  Fell  and  others,  and  cost,  furnished,  about  $25,000.  It  was  well  kept,  was  a 
great  favorite,  and  in  every  respect  a  credit  to  Normal.  It  burned  in  the  winter  of 
1872,  and  its  loss  has  been  severely  felt  by  Normal.  The  insurance  on  the  property  was 
about  §10,000,  and  much  of  it  has  been  in  litigation  ever  since  the  fire.  The  depot  was 
destroyed  at  the  same  time,  its  burning  being,  in  fact,  the  cause  of  the  hotel  fire.  A 
foundry  was  built  at  Normal  at  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the  Normal  School  building, 
which  furnished  some  of  the  iron-work  for  that  institution,  but  the  enterprise  failed,  and 
entailed  a  loss  of  about  $4,000,  the  most  of  which  Mr.  Fell  sustained. 

Another  foundry,  with  a  stove  and  furnace  manufactory  combined,  built  here  in  the 
spring  of  1877,  was  only  able  to  survive  a  few  short  weeks. 

Normal  is  abundantly  supplied  with  good  water,  not  yet  utilized,  but  known  to 
exist  in  large  quantities  under  ground.  The  well  at  the  Orphans'  Home  is  one  of  the 
best  in  the  State.  It  is  112  feet  deep,  and  furnishes  an  abundant  supply.  The  well  ia 
tubed  with  iron,  and  the  tube  is  three  feet  in  diameter.  An  engine  lifts  the  water  to 
i  lie  surface,  where  another  forces  it  to  the  Home,  and  the  engine  there  pumps  so  much 
a-  is  needed  to  the  tank  in  the  upper  part  of  the  building,  and  also  performs  other  work. 

Normal  is  well  known  all  over  the  West  as  the  home  of  the  Dillons,  who  have 
imported  so  many  valuable  Norman  horses  fiom  France.  Their  stables  are  well  built, 
and  are  at  any  time  worth  a  visit,  often  containing  single  horses  that  sell  at  from  $1,000 
to  $4,1100  Their  stock  is  known  in  market  as  "Normans"  or  "  Peroheron  Normans,'' 
from  Percheron  and  Normandy,  in  France,  where  the  Dillons  make  annual  trips  to 
select  the  best  animals  that  can  be  purchased. 


142 

THE    WAH    FOR    THK    UNION. 

Normal  labors  ander  the  great  disadvantage  of  having  lost  a  large  portion  of  its  mili" 

Etlory,  from  its  proximity  to  Bloomiogton,  which  city  has  appropriated  to  itself  with- 
out effort,  by  the  natural  force  of  circumstances,  much  of  the  military  credit  of  Norma). 

Whenever  regiments,  companies  or  Bquads  of  Boldters  were  being  made  up  in 
Bloomington,  Normal  and  the  adjoining  towns  helped  swell  the  rank-,  n  gardless  of  the 
little  matter  of  credit.     Many  of  the  volunteers  obtained  their  mail   at   Bloomington, 

having  been  no  post  office  at  Normal  until  the  war  was  well  under  way,  and,  from  this 
fact,  gave  Bloomiogton  as  their  home  when  the  muster-rolls  were  being  compiled,  and 
hence  the  poor  showing  made  at  first  by  the  new  town  of  Normal.  The  fact  remains, 
however,  that  its  residents  were  fully  as  patriotic  as  those  of  Bloomington,  and  when 
the  result  of  the  loose  method  of  crediting  was  discovered,  in  1804  and  1865,  and  it  was 
seen  that  the  township  would  need  to  bestir  itself  to  furni>h  its  quota  of  volunteers, 
the  most  vigorous  efforts  were  made,  with  greal  success.  The  township  raised  l>_\  sub- 
scription a  large  sum  of  money,  and  it  was  given  to  volunteers  who  would  accept  of  the 

county  bounty,  with  an  additional  sum  from  Normal,  often  as  much  as  $50,  and. 
by  earnest  work,  the  town'.-,  quota  was  always  raised,  and  no  draft  was  ever  necessary. 
Had  the  matter  of  credit  been  thought  of  in  18G1,  Normal  could  very  readily  have 
secured  the  large  number  of  its  citizens  who  were  credited  to  Bloomington,  and  would 
have  shown  a  surplus  over  all  calls. 

The  history  of  the  famous  Normal,  or  Thirty-third  Illinois,  Regiment,  should  be 
touched  upon  in  this  article,  as  it  is  of  interest  to  our  narrative.  In  April,  18G1,  when 
the  war  commenced,  Joseph  G.  Howell,  who  was  then  Principal  of  the  Model  School  at 
Normal,  volunteered,  with  four  or  five  of  the  students  of  the  University. 

Howell  was  killed  at  Fort  Donelson.  On  his  departure  from  Normal,  with  several 
of  the  students  mentioned,  there  was  a  probability  that  nearly  all  of  the  remainder 
would  enlist  before  the  end  of  the  spring  term.  Had  this  happened,  they  would  have 
been  scattered  through  different  commands,  of  little  assistance  to  cadi  other,  and  would 
have  made  no  record  for  the  institution  of  which  they  were  members. 

Mr.  Hovey,  the  President,  in  order  to  hold  the  school  together  awhile  longer,  pro- 
cured a  drillmaster — Cupt.  White — and  a  military  company  was  formed  for  daily  prac- 
tice and  drill. 

By  the  end  of  the  term,  duly  1,  1861,  this  company  had  become  well  disciplined, 
and  had  formed  plans  for  enlisting  in  a  body  as  soon  as  an  opportunity  should  be  found. 

About  the  middle  of  July,  Mr.  Hovey  went  to  Washington,  and  offered  to  raise  a 

whole    regiment    of    BtudentS,    teacher.-    and    educational    men.       His    offer    received    no 
atti  tition  for  B6V<  ral  days;   but  while  ho   was  waiting  for  an  answer,   Bull  Run  spoke  in 
eching   tones  for   volunteers,  and  the   day  alter  that    disastrous   battle,  his    regiment 
was  gladly  accepted  by  the  Secretary  of  War. 

Mr.  Hovey  returned  to  Normal,  now  Colonel,  and  proceeded  to  organise  the 
regiment.  He  called  on  the  educational  men  of  the  State  with  such  success  that 
by  the  first  of  September  his  regiment  was  at  Springfield  with  nearly  its  lull  comple- 
ment of  men.  Company  A,  its  first  company,  was  made  up  originally  from  those  Nor- 
mal students  who  had  been  drilling  lor  nearly  three  months  previously,  and  c ained 

most  of  the  Btudents  \\  ho  volunteered  at  that  time,  although  Beveral  oth<  ra  took  positions 
in   this  or  in  other  regiments,     [ra  Moore,  one  of  the  teachers,  raised  a  company 


143 

for  the  regiment,  mainly  of  men  from  McLean  County.  Moses  I.  Morgan,  Aaron 
Gove  and  C.  J.  Gill,  students,  together  raised  in  Du  Page,  La  Salle  and  Shirk  Counties 
a  full  company,  of  which  they  became  the  commissioned  officers.  The  officers  of  the 
students' company  (A  I  were:  L.  H.  Totter — one  of  the  teachers — Captain  ;  J.  II.  Burn- 
ham,  who  graduated  July  4,  1861,  First  Lieutenant;  and  G.  Hyde  Norton,  of  the 
next  graduating  class,  Second  Lieutenant ;  about  fifty  enlisted  from  this  institution  in 
the  year  1861. 

Charles  E.  Uovey,  the  first  President  of  the  Normal  University,  went  into  the 
army  as  Colonel  of  the  Thirty-third  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteers,  known  in  the 
history  of  this  State  as  the  "  Normal  Regiment.",  fie  was  one  of  the  bravest  and  best 
of  the  ooble  officers  of  the  volunteer  service;  he  was  commended  fur  his  skill  and  good 
behavior  in  the  battle  of  Frederick  town,  Mo.,  which  took  place  October  21,  1861.  In 
the  battle  of  "Cache  River,"  or  "Cotton  Plant."  in  Arkansas,  July  7,  18G2,  Col. 
Uovey  greatly  distinguished  himself  by  his  courage  in  the  face  of  defeat,  when  he 
rallied  the  retreating  soldiers  under  a  galling  fire,  though  wounded  in  the  breast  himself, 
re-arranged  the  shattered  lines  and  brought  victory  out  of  what  came  near  being  a  disas- 
trous defeat.  For  this  good  conduct  lie  was  appointed  Brigadier  General  by  the  Presi- 
dent, his  commission  dating  from  September  5,  18G2.  He  was  soon  assigned  to  the 
command  of  Gen.  Sherman,  who  placed  him  in  charge  of  his  advance  brigade,  a  posi- 
tion he  filled  until  April,  1SG3.  Gen.  Sherman  gave  him  the  highest  praise  for  his 
efficiency.  When  Congress  assembled  in  the  winter  of  18G2  and  18G3,  it  was  not  pre- 
pared to  confirm  the  appointment  of  all  of  President  Lincoln's  Brigadier  Generals,  and 
limited  the  number  of  confirmations  to  one  hundred.  The  President  had  sent  in  two 
names  from  McLean  County — those  of  Gen.  Uovey  and  Gen.  W.  W.  Orme,  and  when 
he  was  obliged  to  revise  his  list,  bringing  it  from  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  the 
proper  number,  he  felt  compelled,  on  account  of  the  policy  of  equal  territorial  distribu- 
tion, to  drop  the  name  of  Gen.  Uovey,  which  he  did  very  reluctantly.  This  threw  that 
gentleman  suddenly  out  of  his  position  in  April,  1863,  and  he  left  the  army  just  as  he 
was  on  the  threshold  of  a  remarkably  brilliant  career.  In  18G8,  Congress  granted  him 
tardy  jiutice  by  the  compliment  of  a  brevet  Major  Generalship. 

Several  of  the  residents  of  the  village — students — enlisted  and  never  returned,  or 
came  home  to  linger  a  few  years  and  die.  William  A.  Pearce  and  his  cousin,  Alvin  T. 
Lewis,  were  both  killed  in  battle,  while  Lieut.  James  B.  Fyffe  died  in  1871.  Edward 
J.  Lewis,  editor  of  the  Bloomington  I'antagraph  in  1861,  assisted  in  forming  the 
Thirty-third  Regiment,  enlisted  as  a  private  soldier,  and  afterward  became  Captain  in 
C  Company.  He  is  now  Postmaster  at  Normal.  Col.  E.  R.  Roe,  Gen.  C.  E.  Lippin- 
cott  and  Col.  I.  S.  Elliott  were  all  members  of  this  brave  old  regiment,  which  partici- 
pated in  the  battles  before  Vieksburg,  Mobile,  and  other  historical  battles.  Normal  has 
always  claimed  an  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  Thirty-third  Regiment  which  was  known 
for  years  as  the  Normal  Regiment  ;  and  its  Company  A  of  students,  though  represent- 
ing thirty  different  counties  in  this  State,  contained  so  many  Normal  residents,  and  was 
so  essentially  a  product  of  the  institution,  that  its  memory  will  ever  be  cherished  hire. 
In  18G2,  several  of  the  Normal  students  enlisted  in  the  Ninety-fourth  Regiment,  which 
was  raised  in  McLean  County.  These  were  mostly  in  Capt.  W.  II.  Mann's  company. 
Mr.  M.  was  a  nurseryman,  in  company  with  the  lamented  Overman,  and  his  command 
contained  more  Noimal  men  than  any  other  that  enlisted. 


144 


Misii:u.A\i:nrs. 


aasons  were  organised   February   20,   L871.     The  preeenl   number  of 
meni  twenty-six.     The  officers  for  1879  are:  J.  8.  Lackey,  Master;    AT.  Dick- 

erson,  Senior  Warden;  J.  M  James,  Junior  Warden ;  A.  C.  Taylor,  Treasurer;  S. 
K  Vickroy,  Secretary;  F.  R.  Baker,  Senior  Deacon ;  J.  8.  Garrett  Junior  Deacon; 
James  Worden  and  G  ge  W.  Davidson,  Stewards;  A.  S.  Eursey,  Tiler.  There  are 
quite  a  number  of  gentlemen  in  Normal  who  are  members  of  a  ime  one  '>r  more  of  the 
differ  nl   societies  in  tin-  neighboring  city  of  Bloomington. 

We  find,  that  though  Normal  does  nol  pretend  to  be  a  commeroiaf  or  manufactur- 
ing point,  it  transacts  considerable  business.  Its  grain-dealers  purchase  considerable 
quantities  of  produce,  and  its  retail  stores  include  the  several  branches  found  in  towns 
of  in  Bize,  consisting  of  drug,  hardware,  dry  good.-  and  grocery  Bfcoree;  there  are, 
besidi  s,  other  retail  dealers.  For  several  years  after  the  village  was  started,  i'  was 
thought  all  the  different  branches  of  miscellaneous  business  would  be  patronized  in 
Bloomington,  leaving  no  opening  for  home  talent  ;  bul  after  a  time,  the  greater  conven- 
ience of  Normal  stores  was  bo  plainly  demonstrated,  that  those  dealer-  who  first  started 
business  in  the  village  found  ready  patronage,  and  their  places  of  business  were  followed 
by  the  opening  of  others,  all  of  which  are  now  permanently  established. 

In  tie'  manufacturing  line,  Normal's  experience  has  been  rather  a  severe  on 
there  can   scarcely  be  said  to  be  a  successful  manufactory  in  the  village.     There  i-  a 
woolen-factory,  capable  of  employi:!^  from  ten  to  thirty  operatives,  but  it  has  never  been 

run  to   its  full   capacity.     It  is  now  operated  on  a  small  scale,  making  excellent  g 1- 

and  doing  a  fair  business,  but  has  not  the  trade  that  might  be  expected  of  a  factory 
situated  between  two  such  towns  as  Normal  and  Bloomington.  A  large  paper-mill  was 
built  about  six  years  ago,  which,  for  a  time,  turned  out  large  quantities  of  a  good  qual- 
ity "l  printing  paper.  For  some  months  the  St.  Louis  Republican)  the  Bloomington 
Pantograph,  and  other  journals  used  its  paper,  but  the  owners  failed  after  about  two 
vear-'  trial,  and  the  mill  is  now  idle. 

The  Normal    Stock  yards  are  ipiite  an    institution.      They  are  .situated  on    the  east 
Bide  of  the  Chicago,  Alton  dt  St.   Louis  Railroad.     They  can  comfortably  feed  and 
water  over  a  thousand   cattle  at  once,  and  are  a  great  convenience  to  such  shippen 
wish  to  resl  their  Btook  here  before  taking  them  to  the  Chicago  market. 

We  hope  Normal  will,  in  the  future,  retain  its  pre-eminence  as  an  educational  cen- 
ter, and  thai  it  will  -nine  day  Bee  the  establishment  of  other  colleges  or  seminaries.  If 
it  can  secure  these,  and  can  retain  its  present  intelligent  population,  there  is  little  doubt 
that  it  will  become  known  as  one  of  the  best  towns  in  the  West;  that  its  future  may 
become  all  that  its  pasl  has  led  us  to  look  for,  is  the  earnest  wish  of  the  citizen 
M'  Lean  < Sounty. 


INDEX 


PAGE. 

Bloomington 3 

Blooming  Grove  in  Fayette  County 3 

Blooming' Grove  in  Tazewell  County 11 

James  Allin 20 

Wars  and  Rumors  of  Wars 23 

The  Frontier  Serviee 23 

Bloomington  In  1831 25 

1KU  to  1840 32 

1840  to  1850 36 

1850  to  1880 37 

1860  to  1870 30 

1870  to  187!» 40 

Gen.  Gridlcy's  Recollections 41 

Township  Organization 46 

Town  or  Village  Organization 47 

city  Organization 48 

Schoools 49 

Churches  that  have  Dissolved 52 

Churches 53 

Bloomington  Sabbath  Schools 58 

Cemeteries 59 

Franklin  Park 60 

Railroads 61 

Our  Telegraph 65 

Newspapers 66 

The  Bloomington  Library 67 

Wesleyan  University 68 

Temperance 74 

Nurseries 78 

•  '•ill 79 

Water 81 

Manufactories 82 


PAGE. 

. ..     89 


Mills 

Fires 89 

Public  Debt 89 

Sewers mi 

Public  Buildings 90 

Incorporated  Companies 90 

California  Emigrants 92 

Remarkable  Weather 98 

Events  During  the  War 96 

Free  Masons 100 

Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 101 

Various  Secret  Societies 102 

Benevolent  Societies 103 

Important  German  Organizations 103 

Our  Highest  Officials 104 

Political  History 109 

Normal  Township 115 

Norma]  University 115 

Soldiers'  Orphans'   Home 128 

Early  Settlement 130 

Township  Organization 132 

Village  Organization 132 

Normal  Village 184 

Trees 136 

Churches 138 

Normal  Public  School 130 

incorporated  Companies 140 

Re-Surrey  of  Normal 140 

Incidents Ml 

The  War  lor  the  Union 142 

Miscellaneous 144 


SHB55H!S5?5E^ 


3  0112  025394120 


